SEPTEMBER- NOVEMBER 2018 | VOL 1 | ISSUE 5 ISSN 2515-8503
travel.lovePoland
through the lens
100 years Poland CELEBRATION
On November 11, 2018, Poland will celebrate the centenary since it regained independence after 123 years of partitions. Anniversary article by prof. Marceli Tureczek for travel love Poland Magazine
LOVEPOLAND.ORG CELEBRATING TOGETHER
100 years Poland
President Wilson’s speech in front of Congress January 1917 "Statesmen everywhere are agreed that there should be a united, independent, autonomous Poland".
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 5
from the editor
Dear Readers, Welcome to the autumn issue of the magazine. As in the previous editions, we show you Poland through beautiful photos, hoping that it will encourage you to further search and visiting our country. On November 11, Poland will celebrate 100th anniversary of independence. For this reason, Professor Marceli Tureczek prepared a special anniversary article focusing on the main points of this historic event. We hope you will celebrate with us. As always, we encourage you to get to know and visit different parts of Poland. Marcin Tarkowski will take you on a trip to Lublin - charming, full of tradition city in Eastern Poland. We also encourage you to read a conversation with Wojciech Bytner who takes photos of Masuria - the land of thousands of lakes. And then, together with Włodzimierz Stachoń, we will move to Subcarpathian region to discover the beauty of wild nature. Similarly, we cannot ignore the photographs of Mikołaj Gospodarek, who shows full of nostalgia Masovia region. it is not possible to list all the recommended texts and photographs In the short introduction, so let discover them with us. Have a nice time with Travel.LovePoland Magazine.
artur tomasz tureczek Editor-in-Chief Travel.LovePoland
Contributors to this Issue: Magdalena Tomaszewska-Bolalek, Wojciech Bytner, Mikołaj Gospodarek, Łukasz Gozdera, Mikołaj Kaczmarek, Włodzimierz Stachoń (Karpaty - magiczna kraina), Marcin Tarkowski, prof. Marceli Tureczek and DRONE QUEST. Special thanks to Gaja Gajewska and S. I. Witkiewicz Theatre in Zakopane as well as prof. Marceli Tureczek for cooperation on this issue. As always: our special BIG thanks to Kasia Śpiewankiewicz - graphic editor @britanniaweb.co.uk for your patience and support. Thank You. If you would like to support or cooperate with our magazine please contact us via: info@lovepoland.org TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND online magazine published by love Poland ltd Registered office address: 178 Mitcham Road, London, England, SW17 9NJ Company number 10956488 Company registered in England and Wales. British Library ISSN 2515-8503 Copyrights by love Poland ltd and/ or authors of photographs and texts as indicated. All photographs and texts are published under the exclusive permission granted to travel.lovePoland Magazine by their authors. Please do not copy or publish without authorisation. WWW.LOVEPOLAND.ORG
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T R A V E L . L O V E P O L A N D
M A G A Z I N E
VOL 1. ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER 2018
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100 Years of regained independence prof. Marceli Tureczek Lublin Marcin Tarkowski
Mazowsze Mikołaj Gospodarek
Mazury Wojciech Bytner
Karpaty Włodzimierz Stachoń
14 30 32 36 63 65 69 77 93 103 107 111 115
Colours of History Mikołaj Kaczmarek A tale from Lublin The Devil's trial Tyniec Abbey by DRONE QUEST Vang church The Warsaw Rising Museum Ciechocinek Less known castles All Saints’ Day – photos: Łukasz Gozdera S. I. Witkiewicz Theatre Zakopane The Homole gorge Zakopane Style Traditional Podhale costume Autumn jars
logo 1918-2018: prezydent.pl photo on the front cover: Ogrodzieniec Mikołaj Gospodarek
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Y E A R S
of regained independence
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100 years of regained independence. Poland WORDS BY
PHOTOS
prof. Marceli Tureczek
The Library of Congress and lovePoland archive
POLAND – BEAUTIFUL, INDEPENDENT… (1795 - 1918 - 2018)
Marceli Tureczek (born on 1979) – Polish historian, professor of humanities, graduate and currently an employee of the Institute of History at the University of Zielona Góra; member of the German campanology association Deutsches Glockenmuseum e. V. in Gescher (Westphalia), ‘Czas Art’ Association in Wschowa, as well as the President of Regionalists’ Association ‘Środkowe Nadodrze’ and the secretary of the Zielona Góra branch of the Polish Historical Society. Author, co-author and editor of over one hundred scientific, popular-science and press publications devoted to the issues of widely understood field related to the protection of monuments, as well as historical campanology. Within his research, he deals with the issues of cultural heritage protection.
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In 2018, Poland celebrates 100th anniversary of regaining independence. This anniversary is an opportunity not only to reflect on the history of Poland, but also on the history of Europe. When at the end of the eighteenth century Poland, which only 100 years earlier – in the 17th century, was one of the largest European countries, would gradually disappear from the world map and eventually ceased to exist in 1795, probably no one – especially in Poland-did not predict that the country would cease to exist for 123 years. When Poland disappeared from the map of the world, the era of Polish nobility – the social stratum that considered itself a political nation – ceased to exist as well. At the same time, Europe was beginning to burn under the pressure of Napoleon, who almost managed to subdue even Russia, giving Poland the hope of regaining independence. And it was Napoleonic wars, although Napoleon himself finally suffered a great defeat which was a painful defeat for Poland as well, became the beginning of the road to freedom. This road proved to be very long as it was not to finish until 1918.
But to present this path to the readers, especially those coming from outside Poland, the question should be asked whether, indeed, apart from atlases, Poland did not exist in the nineteenth century. The end of the Napoleonic era and the emergence of a substitute of the Kingdom of Poland under the rule of the Russian tsar was the beginning of a great revolution in Polish society. The great political, economic, but also literary and artistic trends of the nineteenth century did not, by any means, get past the Polish society divided between Prussia, Russia and Austria. Despite the fact that Poland was not a sovereign country, it was the 19th century that was the period of great Polish literature and art, which is still the canon of Polish culture. The Polish national uprisings of 1830, 1848 and 1863, unsuccessful in the military and political sense, became on the one hand part of the history of Europe, which also experienced the evolution of social structures and norms, and on the other created Polish emigration, which was the elite of the Polish nation and Polish national affairs.
Greetings to Ignace Jan Paderewski On the Tenth Anniversary of the Independence of Poland My dear Mr. Paderewski: Do you remember the day when you came to my office in Washington to ask the Navy's bid for the Polish soldiers in Siberia? You were an exiled patriot without a country – and much later you and I were in Paris – you as the head of a new-old nation. May you live long to appreciate in the full the love and respect of your fellow Poles in every part of the world. Your old friend, Franklin D. Roosevelt
National Parade, Warszawa 1918
From Robert Lansing, Former U.S. Secretary of State It is a pleasure as well as an honor to join with others in paying tribute to Ignace Jan Paderewski, my esteemed friend and former colleague, whose achievements as a patriot and statesman and whose magnificent genius as a master of harmony have won the applause of an admiring world and made his name immortal. Robert Lansing, 1928.
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Paderewski's speech, USA
The emigration has created such masterpieces as the Polish national epic "Pan Tadeusz" (in English known as Sir Thaddeus) by the great poet of Polish and European Romanticism – Adam Mickiewicz. Polish emigration consisted of such figures as a famous composer and pianist Fryderyk Chopin, a poet Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, Zygmunt Krasiński, Juliusz Słowacki and many others. But also in the Polish lands there were changes that turned out to be the basis for the independent state established in 1918. The period between the Napoleonic defeat and the November uprising in 1830 created Polish military, political and cultural elites within the framework of the Kingdom of Poland ruled by Russia. Great, ongoing, timeless projects comprise a collection of great works of art and memorabilia of Polishness, created by Izabela Czartoryska – a Polish aristocrat. The existing collection of Czartoryski family, which is exhibited in Krakow, comprising among others works of Leonardo da Vinci, belongs to the most important Polish museum collections. From this collection during World War II Germans plundered the most-wanted work from Polish collections - Portrait of a young man by Rafael Santi. As Izabela herself wrote about her collection: "In 1793 Poland died! Several centuries accumulated circumstances that slowly contributed to this dead and terrible epoch. No courage or bravery could turn it away. The strongest attempts to defend the Homeland could not do it (...).That was the first time when I thought about collecting Polish memorabilia, which I entrust to posterity (...).This collection contains traces of Bolesław Chrobry, Kazimierz Wielki, Stefan Batory, Jan Zamoyski, Żółkiewski, Czarniecki, Lew Sapieha and other great and brave people. Let these memories sweeten the present times, let their glory pass from one age to the other.”
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The Czartoryski collection has been exhibited in Krakow since 1876. The Czartoryski established also Paris Hotel Lambert – the centre of Polish emigration in the 19th century. Already in 1816, the University of Warsaw was established and although it used to be closed due to repressions by the partitioning powers in the following years, was the forge of Polish elites. Throughout the period of partitions, the Jagiellonian University and the Vilnius University were active. The position of Poles in the Austrian Partition, especially after obtaining the autonomy granted by the authorities in Vienna in 1867, was by far the best. It was here that the teaching of Polish language flourished without any embarrassment, literature and art developed. It was in Krakow that perhaps the greatest Polish painter of the period of historicism Jan Matejko - the creator of monumental paintings depicting the era of Polish statehood before the fall of the 18th century – lived and worked. The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was the time of great Polish scholars and writers. There are many prominent figures here, but I would like to mention only two: Maria Skłodowska-Curie – a two-time Nobel laureate in chemistry and physics, and Henryk Sienkiewicz – Nobel laureate in the field of literature. Polish territories remaining under the partitions were also subject to the processes of industrialisation and changes in the structure of Polish society. The symbol of this era in Poland is the city of Lodz, which from a small settlement at the beginning of the nineteenth century, at the end of it was one of the largest industrial centres in Central Europe. The Łódź-based social and industrial revolution was perpetuated by the Polish director, Oscar winner Andrzej Wajda in his film "The Promised Land”.
From Edith Bolling Wilson (Mrs. Woodrow Wilson) I welcome this happy occasion to pay tribute to my honoured friend Mr. Ignace Jan Paderewski, the greatest artist who – with the world at his feet through the magic of his music – turned aside from his mission of melody to serve his stricken country as its responsible head in her hour of need.
Polish-Soviet border, 1918
This inspired patriot became the servant of his people, lighting his torch at the altar of sacrifice, where its steady flame will burn forever to the glory of his beloved Poland, and lend new luster to his name written deep in the hearts of all men. Edith Bolling Wilson (Mrs. Woodrow Wilson) March sixth, Nineteen hundred and twenty-eight
Parade in Krakow, 1918
100 YEARS OF REGAINED INDEPENDENCE
Piłsudski in Kielce, 1918
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However, despite these great achievements, at the end of the nineteenth century, Poland was not a state, but an area divided between three other countries, with great social, economic and even infrastructural differences – because even railroad tracks in Poland were adapted to the standards and needs of the invaders. Slowly, however, the century of peace as some historians call the nineteenth century ended – and the century of wars began. The invaders that used to be coherent so far started to differ more and more often. The changes of alliances and finally the attack in Sarajevo on Franciszek Ferdinand, the successor to the AustrianHungarian throne, became an ignition point for the outbreak of the "Great War" as the First World War was to be called later. And then, just as at the end of the 18th century and in 1815 in Vienna when the new world order was established – no one predicted that it would be the beginning of a new order in the world and in Europe. World War I turned out to be "the dawn of the Central European nations". But for this to happen, these nations must have been prepared for it. And it was then that Poland, which "did not exist" for more than a hundred years, proved to exist, have its own culture and, above all, the elites who managed to put a Polish flag on the mast during the international conflict and the great Bolshevik revolution in Russia. It is difficult to mention here all the outstanding figures of the Polish independence salon. Józef Piłsudski, Roman Dmowski, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Wincenty Witos – these are just a few of the most famous names. The symbolic date of this great event for Poles is November 11, 1918, but it is worth noting that only on November 16, 1918, Józef Piłsudski sent a telegram to the authorities of the United States and other countries notifying the creation of the Polish State.
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In the following days and months, the political foundations of the state were formulated and the parliament was established.Poland emerged from the chaos of history... But this was not the end of this over a hundred-year-long battle. Wielkopolska was still under Prussian partition – it was liberated only as a result of the Poles' victory, while in the East the Bolshevik danger lurked, which in 1920 almost led to the great Bolshevik march in Europe. And that's when the young Polish state made a huge effort to stop this onslaught and so-called Battle of Warsaw, fought on 13-25 August 1920, is considered one of the most important battles in the military history of the world. Polish independence recovered in 1918 lasted for 21 years until September 1, 1939. The attack of Nazi Germany on Poland destroyed the revived state, and the result of World War II and the resultant world order, apart from the extermination of Polish society and the state was also the communist era lasting until 1989. However, despite the obstacles, the Polish State continued to exist. The era of beautiful and independent Poland rebuilt with great effort after 1918 has been preserved in the consciousness of the Polish nation. In the communist era, this consciousness grew to the rank of a national myth that fuelled subsequent generations, even though the communists only in 1989 agreed to celebrate the date of November 11, 1918.
ON NOVEMBER 11, 2018
Poland will celebrate THE CENTENARY OF REGAINING INDEPENDENCE
Rozbíór Polski The partition of Poland 1795 Created / Published c 1891 Mar. 6.
scan The Library of Congress
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POLAND HAS NOT YET PERISHED, SO LONG AS WE STILL LIVE. WHAT THE FOREIGN FORCE HAS TAKEN FROM US, WE SHALL WITH SABRE RETRIEVE.
The lyrics were written by Józef Wybicki in Reggio Emilia, Cisalpine Republic in Northern Italy, between 16 and 19 of July 1797, two years after the Third Partition of Poland erased the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from the map. It was originally meant to boost the morale of Polish soldiers serving under General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski's Polish Legions that served with Napoleon's French Revolutionary Army in the Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars. "Dabrowski's Mazurka", expressing the idea that the nation of Poland, despite lacking an independent state of their own, had not disappeared as long as the Polish people were still alive and fighting in its name, soon became one of the most popular patriotic songs in Poland. The music is an unattributed mazurka and considered a "folk tune" that Polish composer Edward Pałłasz categorizes as "functional art" which was "fashionable among the gentry and rich bourgeoisie". Pałłasz wrote, "Wybicki probably made use of melodic motifs he had heard and combined them in one formal structure to suit the text".
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It is "one of the most important songs of the Slavic nations." The text of the hymn was modified to suit new occasions and sociopolitical contexts" throughout the songs history. When Poland re-emerged as an independent state in 1918, "Dabrowski's Mazurka" became its de facto national anthem. It was officially adopted as the national anthem of the Republic of Poland in 1926. It also inspired similar songs by other peoples struggling for independence during the 19th century. The melody of the Polish anthem is a lively and rhythmical mazurka. Mazurka as a musical form derives from the stylisation of traditional melodies for the folk dances of Masovia, a region in central Poland. Considered one of Poland's national dances in pre-partition times, it owes its popularity in 19th-century West European ballrooms to the mazurkas of Frédéric Chopin. The composer is unknown. The melody is most probably Wybicki's adaptation of a folk tune that had already been popular during the second half of the 18th century.
DĄBROWSKI'S MAZURKA NATIONAL ANTHEM OF POLAND "Pieśń Legionów Polskich we Włoszech" "Song of the Polish Legions in Italy" "Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła" "Poland Is Not Yet Lost" By Józef Wybicki
P
oland has not yet perished, So long as we still live. What the alien force has taken from us, We shall retrieve with a sabre.
March, march, Dąbrowski, From the Italian land to Poland. Under your command We shall rejoin the nation. We'll cross the Vistula and the Warta, We shall be Polish. Bonaparte has given us the example Of how we should prevail. March, march... Like Czarniecki to Poznań After the Swedish occupation, To save our homeland, We shall return across the sea. March, march... A father, in tears, Says to his Basia: "Listen, our boys are said To be beating the tarabans."
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Jozef Plilsudski 1929
COLORING HISTORY MIKOŁAJ KACZMAREK AN INTERVIEW WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/KOLORHISTORII
The discovery of photography made it possible to keep the past in our memory. However, for almost two centuries these pictures were closed in their monochromatic, black and white reality. Thanks to the graphic reconstruction though, you can see that the world has not changed even for a while into its black and white alternative. The scenes captured in the frames took place in a reality filled with colours. This unusual, challenging reconstruction task is undertaken, inter alia, by the Colours of History conducted by Mikołaj Kaczmarek. The effects of his work are often breathtaking – reconstructions allow you to look into the past that looks as accessible and true as never before. TLP: Mikołaj, where did this passion come from? From your love to history and maybe art? Do you have any particular interests? You colour tones of photos from the period of the Second Polish Republic and World War II. 14 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
MK: A few years ago, I saw on TV documentary films about World War 2, and from that time on I started being interested in history, especially of this period. Colour made a great impression on me, I sat literally stunned in the armchair. I remember watching such a series then, entitled Apocalypse: World War II – declassified and reconstructed original film footage from World War II. Then everything became more real, and it came to me that all of that was not so long ago. From that time on, I began to delve into various topics of the Second World War. After a year, I saw a coloured film WARSAW UPRISING (about which I had no idea earlier) and that was the topic that really touched me. For this subject, I started to colour photography. It's my topic I had seen somewhere before that people in the world colour the pictures, and I decided to take it up myself. I quickly got the technique and the sense of applying the colour. After 3 months I can say that I was already in the elite world group of colorization specialists, which was a great honour for me. I will add that it was all one big spontaneous action. I have not planned anything (laugh).
TLP: How do you treat the photos you are working on? What do you want to achieve? Do you agree that in every picture, in the details that build it, there is an extensive story captured and it would be a pity to lose it in the darkness of the past and oblivion?
TLP: How much time do you spend studying photography? Understanding what does a particular picture represent? Getting to know its history, meaning, looking for the right colours that should be used to replace shades of grey? MK: Different things happen. In order to better empathize with a given topic, I always try to find out as much as possible about a given situation or a person in a photograph. Usually, this usually happens during the colouring.
colour ?
ELPOEP
MK: First of all, I want to draw naturalness from old photographs. A well-coloured photo is when you cannot see it was dyed. You need some intuition here so that the final result does not turn into kitsch. Of course, each photo has its own charm. My task is to resurrect it and show it to the people in a new, contemporary version. Stories of some of the photos are amazing and truly touching. It is also the case that the more interesting a story or a heroic deed, the more you want to renew the photo. For example, I am especially keen on colouring the photos of the youngest Warsaw Insurgents.
 I'm recreating a document in the background on a given topic while working. I search the internet which is really mega helpful. I also have books that help in determining the colours, for example, of uniforms, weapons, medals. I do not hide the fact that there is also lots of improvisation in it, and it happens that the colour is being applied on a hunch. After some time, you already have some experience and knowledge, so it is much easier. I only colour the history of Poland.
the art of history MIKOŁAJ KACZMAREK
MK: For me, colouring is primarily about the natural application of colour. Of course, light on photography plays a role. When, for example, the human skin is coloured, the light is important in determining the saturation of the colour. TLP: Do you think that coloured pictures should be treated as a result of scientific work, or a kind of art: in spite of everything, falsifying historical truth, based only on scientific tools? MK: It probably depends on the point of view. I think that it will be fair to say fifty-fifty, depending on who has what kind of approach as there are people for whom colourisation is historical profanation. It is a margin, but it still exists. Fortunately, most people are greedy of such colourisation. It becomes art if you are able to colour the photo so that the other person does not notice that it has been coloured. Anyone could apply any colour, but that's not the point. Stained photography will never reflect 100% of the colours that were there, but I think in 90% they can be right.
TLP: Do you consider yourself as a sort of detective: tracking down the way reality was presented many years ago? MK: Rather, I do not consider myself a detective (laugh) but I have something like a Time Machine in which I take people to the past, or the other way – I take the past to the present. Thanks to my passion, people can see that those people were basically the same as us now with the exception that they used to live in the times of the Apocalypse (if we talk about II World War). I always say that I'm resurrecting a story, and there is something in it. The same can happen to us. That's why these photos are so moving because people are finally made aware that the world had always been colourful. TLP: Does colorising consist in reproducing with maximum precision the play of light that takes place on various materials, both natural o and created by man? 16 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
TLP: Do you fix in your work what was "ruined" by the limited old technical abilities?. Do you rather think that reconstruction is not about replacing the "worse" version with the "better" one? MK: The world has always been colourful, but the technical possibilities were not at this level as they are today. I only restore the lost colours of the past, and certainly I try to do my best. I do what I can to make it look professional and natural. I have never considered and I still don’t think that it spoils anything, on the contrary – my work is a tribute to history and all those great and smaller people who suffered, and many whom were forgotten. It is not about whether the version is worse or better, this is about showing the history in the new (for some perhaps in the "more interesting" installment); some people would be shocked, and I know from my experience that the colour has mega power, as it made me become interested in the history of my country, and maybe it is a kind of shame to write about it, but eventually, thanks to it, I discovered Patriotism in myself. People once again begin to be interested in history. Anyway, please read the reviews on my website. Many of them are the best credentials that you can dream of.
Coloring History
MIKOŁAJ KACZMAREK WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/KOLORHISTORII
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Lublin by MARCIN TARKOWSKI
CLASSIC DRIVE
EXPLORER LUBLIN an interview with MARCIN TARKOWSKI by travel.lovePoland
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 349,103 (March 2011). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of the Vistula River and is approximately 170 kilometres (106 miles) to the southeast of Warsaw by road. One of the events that greatly contributed to the city's development was the Polish-Lithuanian Union of Krewo in 1385. Lublin thrived as a centre of trade and commerce due to its strategic location on the route between Vilnius and Kraków; Although Lublin was not spared from severe destruction during World War II, its picturesque Old Town has been preserved.
Lublin is the city that symbolises European idea of integration, universal heritage of democracy and tolerance and the idea of dialogue between the cultures of the West and East. Lublin is a unique place where the cultures and religions meet. Here the East meets West, and the European Union meets Belarus and Ukraine. It is the perfect place of cooperation for European artists living within and outside the European Union. Lublin is a city open to artists, a place where unique initiatives and activities take place. Lublin means the experience of hundreds of years of rich history and cultural heritage which constitutes endless source of inspiration for new generations. 19 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
Lublin a distant European destination an interview with MARCIN TARKOWSKI MARCIN TARKOWSKI, a photographer of the urban landscape of Lublin and a creator of LUBLIN W MIGAWCE – PIXIMO Facebook @Lublinwmigawce Instagram @marcin.tar Websites: www.piximo.pl and www.marcintarkowski.pl
"I have been from Lublin since I was born and I am still here, by choice". Lublin is the largest city in the east of Poland with numerous monuments, theatres and universities. Location certainly does not make the place easy to reach. Fortunately, we already have an airport, and in a year we will get an expressway to Warsaw itself as well as a modernised, fast railway connection. Unfortunately, despite its capabilities, Lublin was neglected in the 90s, destroyed by the clumsy authorities of that time. For a while now, Lublin has been trying to make up for delays in economic and cultural development. This also increases the attractiveness and recognition of our city in the country and also abroad. Numerous festivals, strong promotion make Lublin become more and more recognisable and enjoy growing interest among foreign tourists. My interests are related to photography. Architecture, monuments, city. This is what always interests me in every city. Add a camera to this and we have a recipe for ‘Lublin in a Snapshot’. In addition to the typical attractions of Lublin, I would go through those city streets where you can see many interesting buildings. I would start the trip from the Centre for the Meeting of Cultures, called CSK. Great architecture outside as well as inside. You can freely go inside where usually some attractions await. In addition, you can see interesting interiors and go to the roof from where we have an interesting view of this part of the city. Next to CSK, we have the Lublin Conference Centre with a very interesting lobby glazed to the height. You can freely enter and go to the top of the Na Piętrze restaurant, from where we have another nice view directly to the Square from CSK and, besides, we can sit down and relax there. From here I would go to the Saski Park next to it, where you can see peacocks walking freely.
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It's worth going to Krakowskie Przedmieście where you can see many interesting tenement houses. You can go to Sądowa street to find several renovated tenement houses and an interesting combination of the old façade with a new building in the Wieniawski Hotel, it is worth coming inside. Going to the end of Krakowskie Przedmieście, we reach the Lithuanian Square, a meeting place of rollerbladers and a fountain which gives interesting multimedia shows at weekends. In this area you can also start visiting a very large number of historic churches. Along the way, I recommend tasting something in one of the ice cream parlours with own ice cream, especially in Bosko on the promenade, which started a craze on ice cream production in Lublin, and not without a reason, I recommend cream taste ones. Since that time, a large number of this type of ice cream shops have been created, and the whole mass of them may be found in the area of the Lithuanian Square and the Old Town. After passing the Old Town District towards the Lublin Castle, I recommend going to the Czwartek Hill, to the church, behind the bus station. From there, you get a beautiful panorama of the Old Town and the Castle. Then I encourage you to go to the Tarasy Zamkowe gallery, where you can also see the splendid panorama of the Old Town from the roof. Unfortunately, the old city in Lublin from my childhood was not the same place as now. Once it was rather scary to walk there on your own. There were not many interesting places, in general there was not much going on. Now it is a completely different place, with many restaurants, festivals, fairs, performances. This is the heart of Lublin's life. The old city in Lublin has its own climate, especially during such events as the Night of Culture or Carnival of Conjurers. Our Old City may not be huge, but it has a climate. It is also a place where you can relax and unwind from the hustle and bustle which is unavoidable in other cities, e.g. in Krakow.
Photography for me is not only a job, but also a hobby and pleasure. Especially photography of architecture, interior design, generally urban fabric and urban life is a pleasure for me. Whatever I do, I always try to pull out the essence of the place, maintain the climate. To keep in this one shot what captivated me at the moment. Of course, not everything is always successful, but there are always exceptional pictures for which it was worth taking time. It does not matter whether anyone has already taken pictures of Lublin. It does not matter how many of these photos were taken in a given place and it does not matter who took them. You can always take new ones in your own way. The way you see it. It does not matter what equipment and what camera we have. It is important to take the camera and start shooting, with time you always start getting better. In the end, even great photographers were once unknown so everyone has a chance. I approach each photography in the same way. Sometimes an interesting shot comes out with no preparations at all; sometimes I plan something well in advance. I often come back to the same places or just do something on the way. History often writes itself. I am not trying to force anything. A good photo is self-defending, without colouring. A good eye, an idea and something interesting will always finally come out.
The Photographic Blog mainly about Lublin was created as a stepping stone from everyday work on business, real estate and investments photography. Because I am constantly moving around Lublin and the collection of photos is still growing, I decided to show my work to a wider audience, and Facebook and Instagram are doing just that. On my profiles you can find not only classic photos of the city and architecture, but also photos from the drone and often spherical panoramas or virtual walks, also from high views, from the drone. If I take any interesting interior shots, you can see them here as well from time to time.
"For sure, you cannot call Lublin a young city. It is a very old city with a very long and rich history. But it is certainly dynamic." Project Lublin w Migawce (Lublin in a Snapshot)
www.piximo.pl Business and Investment Photography, Marcin Tarkowski Facebook @Lublinwmigawce
LUBLIN – YOUR JOURNEY STARTS TODAY PHOTOS: MARCIN TARKOWSKI – PIXIMO.PL
Crown Tribunal (Trybunał Koronny) Rynek 1 Str. An important building in the political formation of Poland, the Crown Tribunal served as one of two the highest courts in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, beginning its existence in 1579 (the second Crown Tribunal was established in Piotrków Trybunalski). Set in the middle of Lublin's picturesque Market Square, the Tribunal's building was designed by Italian-Polish architect Dominik Merlini, who reconstructed the building's earlier Renaissance and Baroque designs into its present-day Classical look in the 1780s. Today, the Crown Tribunal building hosts music events and weddings. The entrance to Lublin's Underground Route with a number of historic exhibitions is situated on the right side of the Crown Tribunal building.
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LUBLIN – YOUR JOURNEY STARTS TODAY PHOTOS: MARCIN TARKOWSKI – PIXIMO.PL
Grodzka Gate (Brama Grodzka) Grodzka 21 Str. Grodzka Gate (Brama Grodzka), ul. Grodzka 21 (take the street leading out of the castle towards the Old Town). One of the original city gates dating to 1342, the Grodzka Gate was extensively rebuilt in 1785. In the past, this location was also known as the Jewish Gate, as it separated Lublin's Jewish quarter from the Old Town. Grodzka Gate is a location for the "Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre" Centre where different materials (old photographs, documents and testimonies) are presented at the exhibition "Lublin. Memory of the Place". The first part of the exhibition is devoted to Jewish life in Lublin until 1939, and the second part is dedicated to the memory of the extermination of the Jews in Lublin.
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LUBLIN – YOUR JOURNEY STARTS TODAY PHOTOS: MARCIN TARKOWSKI – PIXIMO.PL
Lithuanian Square
According to historic sources the location was the camp of Lithuanian nobility who came for parliamentary sessions that concluded with the signing of the Polish and Lithuanian Union act in 1569. This event is commemorated by a monument in the form of an obelisk. Here we can also see the monuments of Marshal Józef Piłsudski, the Unknown Soldier and the Constitution of May 3. The buildings located in the northern part of the Square are old palaces: Czartoryski, Lubomirski and Guberniyal Authorities. On the opposite side the grand edifice of the Main Post Office is located, whose current appearance is a result of conversion works carried out in 1921.
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LUBLIN – YOUR JOURNEY STARTS TODAY PHOTOS: MARCIN TARKOWSKI – PIXIMO.PL
Archcathedral of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, Królewska 10 Str. Archcathedral of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist (Archikatedra św. Jana Chrzciciela i św. Jana Ewangelisty w Lublinie), ul. Królewska 10 (Located at the edge of the Old Town, 100 m south from Kraków Gate). A unique Renaissance and Baroque cathedral dating to 1586, the church is home to beautiful wall paintings. The cathedral also connects to Trinity Tower (Wieża Trynitarska), a bell tower dating to 1627 and was originally part of the cathedral's Jesuit college.
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Panorama of Lublin – the old town
Lublin Old Town is one of the most precious Polish complexes of historic buildings. The Crown Tribunal and the 14th-century Kraków Gate leading from the Old Town to the city center are commonly considered symbols of the city. The district is one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments, as designated May 16, 2007 and tracked by the National Heritage Board of Poland. > Dominican Basilica and Monastery of St. Stanislaus (Bazylika pw. św. Stanisława Biskupa Męczennika), ul. Złota 9 (Go to the Market Sq., face the Crown Tribunal, pass it on the left and continue straight on for 200m) > Lublin Provincial Museum (Muzeum Lubelskie na Zamku), ul. Zamkowa 9 (near main bus station) > Lublin History Museum (Muzeum Historii Miasta Lublina), pl. Łokietka 3 (at the Kraków Gate) > Lubomelski Tenement (Kamienica Lubomelskich), Rynek 8
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photos: MARCIN TARKOWSKI, LUBLIN W MIGAWCE - PIXIMO
modern town how to get to Lublin
The city is served by Lublin Airport (IATA: LUZ), located just east of the city in the suburb of Świdnik close to the S12 expressway. The airport is serviced by Lufthansa, as well as by low cost airlines Wizzair and Ryanair. Lublin Airport is relatively easy to get in and out of by train thanks to a direct train line running from Lublin's main railway station, and is just 15 minutes by car to the city center. Lublin is served by its main rail station Stacja Lublin, a renovated building dating to the 1870s. The station is located south of the Old Town, and is not far from Park Ludowy. The station is a transit hub for rail lines throughout Lublin Voivodeship.
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TOP 6 IN LUBLIN 01
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Old Town is one of the most precious Polish complexes of historic buildings. The Crown Tribunal and the 14th-century Kraków Gate leading from the Old Town to the city center are commonly considered symbols of the city. The district is one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments, as designated May 16, 2007, and tracked by the National Heritage Board of Poland. Trace Jewish history in Lublin Lublin once served as one the most important centers of Jewish life, commerce, culture and scholarship in Europe. It had the world's largest Talmudic school, Yeshiva. The old Jewish cemetery attracts many visitors. It contains tombstones dating back to the early 1500's. It is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Poland
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Lublin Castle adjacent to the Old Town district and close to the city center. It is one of the oldest preserved Royal residencies in Poland, established by High Duke Casimir II the Just. The hill it is on was first fortified with a woodreinforced earthen wall in the 12th century. In the first half of the 13th century, the stone keep was built. Since 1957 it has been the main site of the Lublin Museum. Crown Tribunal (Trybunał Koronny), ul. Rynek 1, An important building in the political formation of Poland, the Crown Tribunal served as one of two the highest courts in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, beginning its existence in 1579. Set in the middle of Lublin's picturesque Market Square The entrance to Lublin's Underground Route with a number of historic exhibitions is situated on the right side of the Crown Tribunal building.
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The Chapel of The Holy Trinity. The chapel was most likely constructed before 1326, when it was part of the castle complex. In the 14th century, it was a single-story building with a crypt. It possessed a nave, as well as a polygonal presbytery, which was contained within the circumference of the castle's defensive walls. The church underwent a renovation in the 1950s.
Majdanek or KL Lublin, was a German concentration and extermination camp built and operated by the SS on the outskirts of the city of Lublin during the German occupation of Poland in World War II. Although initially purposed for forced labor rather than extermination, the camp was used to kill people on an industrial scale during Operation Reinhard.
Lublin Lublin is a city in eastern Poland and is the provincial capital of Lublin Voivodeship. With a population of 343,000, Lublin is the largest city in Poland east of Warsaw and the Vistula River. In the Middle Ages and early modern era, Lublin played an important role as an administrative, trade, and military center for the Polish kingdom and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In recent years, Lublin has emerged as a tourist destination due in part to its significant old town and as a gateway to the eastern half of the republic.
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CHILDREN'S CORNER
Polish tales and legends
A TALE FROM LUBLIN THE DEVIL’S TRIAL
"As a sign of his presence, the presiding devil judge laid his hand on the table and scorched a mark on its surface. Having approved sentence, the devils promptly left the Tribunal."
The Devil's Trial legend is one of the best-known episodes of Lublin’'s Crown Tribunal. In 1637, a poor widow had a dispute with a wealthy nobleman. The judge examining the case passed a sentence to the advantage of the nobleman, unjustly harming the widow. The exasperated woman exclaimed in great despair that even if devils had sentenced her, they would have given a fairer judgment. That night, the court writer heard carriages arriving in front of the building and in a while strange judges came in, wearing red gowns. They ordered the courtroom to be opened and then sat at the presiding table and called the widow’s case. One of them acted as attorney of the accused widow. The frightened writer noticed that the judges’ pointed features and evil eyes had something devilish about them and their raven-black hair masked hidden horns. Indeed, they were devils sent by God to retry the case. The case was heard. The prosecutor was favourably describing the nobleman’s claims. False words were flowing like a waterfall.
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When their tempting sounds died away, the jury left to consider the verdict. When they came back, the writer quailed, as he heard a sentence to the widow’'s advantage.Then Jesus Christ of the Tribunal shed tears of blood over human evil being worse than Satan’'s, and turned his head away. As proof of his presence, the presiding devil judge laid his hand on the table and scorched its trace on the surface. Having approved the judgment, the devils swiftly left the Tribunal. Next day, the news of the night visit to the Tribunal spread quickly, and frightened crowds gathered in the Market Square. The unfair judges rushing in for the next trial fell and broke their legs on the court stairs in front of the cursing crowd. Considering this a sign of divine retribution, those present called priests and the Miraculous Crucifix was moved by a procession to a chapel in the Collegiate Church where a propitiatory service was celebrated. When St. Michael Collegiate Church was scheduled for demolition two hundred years later, the famous Crucifix was moved to the Cathedral where it has been kept safely in a quiet Blessed Sacrament chapel, surrounded by a multitude of grateful human hearts from all times, reminding believers of the old miracle in the Tribunal courtroom. The historic table with a scorched trace of the devil’s hand has been preserved and can be sometimes seen by visitors to the Lublin Castle Museum.
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POLAND FROM
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TYNIEC ABBEY SOURCE: VIABENEDICTINA.EU PHOTOS: DRONE QUEST
Tyniec Abbey has stood for nearly 1000 years above the Vistula River near Cracow. It reflects the artistic changes of successive epochs. Remains of its Romanesque buildings have been preserved (a part of the church and monastery). There is also a gothic cloister, gothic-baroque church, and baroque monastery buildings. The Abbey is appears on the historical map of Poland as a place of great economic and political importance. For centuries it was witness to many important historical events. After the closing of the abbey in 1816, the Benedictines were to return only after more than a hundred years. Gradually, the monastery was restored and regained its former glory. Today, visitors can enjoy not only the beauty of the Tyniec landscape and architecture but also profit from wide-ranging educational and spiritual possibilities.
VISITORS INFO CENTRE
Benedyktyńska 37, 30-398 Kraków, Poland www.tyniec.benedyktyni.pl tyniec@benedyktyni.pl
Tyniec Abbey has always been of great significance, chiefly religious but also artistic and political. The attention paid to liturgy is visible in the small but significant collection of liturgical objects. Benedictine spirituality is the foundation of the abbey’ s existence. Monks organise retreats, seminars and meditations. The interior of the church and of the monastery are a reflection of the artistic changes over time. The remains of the older building phases permit one to trace the development of its architectural forms. Unique stone details are preserved in the Museum. Tyniec Abbey is also a great place for history lessons. Situated near Poland’s former capital it was not only the witness but also the subject of territorial struggles. Its present-day look was shaped by post-conflict reconstructions (e.g. the walls from the Bar Confederation). Successive restoration work was also the result of damage sustained in military actions. Tyniec is a well-known place on the map of Poland. Today, the abbey offers visitors an attractive tourist trial: through visiting the abbey and museum exhibitions as well as the educational workshops run for children and adults. They allow one to learn about the history of the monastery and the life of monks and their work. Within the local vicinity of the abbey are the village Piekary with its Paleolithic caves and a 19th-century palace complex. At the top of Silver Mountain, a few miles from Tyniec hill, is situated a baroque Camaldolese monastery (the former village of Bielany). This is one of the order’s nine hermitages in the world. Both hills gave their names to the Bielany – Tyniec Nature Park. 33 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
TYNIEC ABBEY PHOTOS DRONE QUEST The DRONE QUEST project was created from the common passion of two people for flying, filming and photography. Officially, we are operators of unmanned aerial vehicles, which are primarily a tool for us to show the surrounding reality from the perspective usually inaccessible to human eyes – the perspective of a bird's-eye view. We also deal with traditional landscape and nature photography as well as film editing. We have created, among other things, a series of popular videos on Youtube.com showing the wildlife of the Low Beskids, or Nowa Huta in Kraków, in a drone’s eye. We were nominated in the international Drone Film Festival 2017 competition. We constantly experiment and implement new ideas, setting the bar higher and higher.
see more WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/DRONE.QUEST
vang EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN
Vang church (Polish: Świątynia Wang) is a stave church which was bought by King Frederick William IV of Prussia and transferred from Vang in the Valdres region of Norway and re-erected in 1842 in Brückenberg near Krummhübel in Silesia, now Karpacz in the Karkonosze mountains of Poland. It was originally used by a congregation belonging to the Church of Norway, then the Evangelical Church of Prussia, and now serves the EvangelicalAugsburg Church in Poland. The church is a four-post single-nave stave church originally built around 1200 in the parish of Vang in the Valdres region of Norway.
The outer doorposts through which you enter the church attract attention with their semi-columns, decorated with a tangle of snakes and plants. Stylized lions, appearing in the symbolic role of creatures guarding the gates, stand on the capitals. In the upper corners of the twelfth-century portals one can see winged dragons, b trying to tear an eight, located horizontally. This scene can symbolise the eternal and infinite struggle between good and evil. On the halfcolumns, which constitute the decorative frame of the door, the faces of the Vikings were carved – these are warriors, sticking out their split tongues, symbolizing the transfer of knowledge and wisdom to the next generations. There is some runic script on the northern portal. Runes were signs of a syllabus, used in the beginning of our era by the people of northern and north-western Europe. These signs were usually tossed in stone, metal, bone and wood. They were probably created outside the Latin culture. They were patterned on the Greek or Latin alphabet. The longest, until the nineteenth century, they remained among the Scandinavian nations, as a peasant and decorative writing. The word "run", meaning a mystery, was to mean secret scripture. There are roughly 1,600 runic inscriptions in Norway. The runic script, on the portal in the Wang church, was very differently translated, e.g. “Eindridi sculpted (portal) for the glory of St. Olaf" or "Eindridi cut a small finger of the son of St Olaf acutely”. Most likely, this inscription reads: " Eindridi carved (the portal), skinny finger, the son of Olaf the Evil."
The record is therefore an artistic signature. The sculptor who created this portal was named Eindridi; he was called "skinny-fingered" (with artistic fingers?) and was the son of a bad Olaf. The works of true art are also the upper parts of the columns, carved in the Byzantine style, so-called capitals, decorated with animal figures, plants and mascarons (12th century). The columns standing in front of the altar, depicting David's victory over Goliath and the prophet Daniel in the lion's den, were reconstructed by an outstanding sculptor Jakub from Janowice. His work is also a cross made of one oak trunk in 1844 and a figure of Christ carved in linden wood in 1846. On both sides of the altar built in 1980 by Ryszard Zając, there are two chandeliers standing on the pedestals. They represent the swan as a symbol of fidelity and the heart – a symbol of love. Candles on these Norwegian candlesticks are lit only during weddings. The Wang temple is widely known as the church of happy marriages. Baptismal font – Lower Silesian Baroque – made around 1740. It comes from a demolished church in Dziećmorowice near Wałbrzych. The pulpit was made of wood brought from Norway. The temple is surrounded by a cloister, which served as isolation from the cold and was a place of penance. There, too – in the past – weapons and fishnets used to be left. The roof tops are decorated with pinnacles – projections in the shape of open dragon maws, which makes them similar to the Viking boat's characteristic decorations. 37 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
Drawing of the stave church from 1841 by F.W. Schiertz 38 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
The tower, built of Silesian granite, protects the church from the sharp gusts of wind blowing from Śnieżka Mountain. On the western embankment, King Frederick William IV set in 1856 a memorial plate with an epitaph, devoted to countess von Reden, with her portrait in the medallion. In the courtyard of the church there are also buildings of the presbytery, built for the needs of the local Evangelical-Augsburg parish. In the Chapel of the Christian Mission you will receive the Holy Bible, a Bible for children, Christian literature, an album about the Wang church, postcards and memorabilia associated with it. Next to this bookshop, there is a sculpture depicting the resurrection of Lazarus, made by Ryszard Zając in 1994.
interior of the Wang Church by Ryszard Zajac
ARTWORK BY RYSZARD ZAJAC source: http://www.wang.com.pl/ Artist born in Jelenia Góra. Educated at the School of Artistic Crafts in Jelenia Góra with specialization of sculpture, supervised by prof. Marian Szymanik. A conflict at school with political background, after the invasion of “Fraternal Army” in Czechoslovakia. 1980-1984. He implements the order for the renovation and maintenance of the Norwegian Wang Temple in Karpacz, to convert after three years from dark atheism to NEW LIFE. That was mainly to the credit of Fr. Jan Kozieł. 39 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
MIKOŁAJ GOSPODAREK
Mazowsze
REGIONS OF POLAND MAZOWSZE
Wind in the willows BY MIKOŁAJ GOSPODAREK
Mazovia (p1olish: Mazowsze) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. Historical Mazovia existed from the Middle Ages until the partitions of Poland and consisted of three voivodeships with the capitals in Warszawa, Płock and Rawa Mazowiecka. Mazovia has a landscape without hills (in contrast to Lesser Poland) and without lakes (in contrast to Greater Poland). It is spread over the Mazovian Lowland, on both sides of the Vistula river and its confluence with Narew and Bug. Forests (mainly coniferous) cover one-fifth of the region, with the large Kampinos Forest, Puszcza Biała and Puszcza Zielona.
Mikołaj Gospodarek Author about the project: Author Mikołaj Gospodarek was born in 1987 in Częstochowa. Photographer, journalist, traveller and free spirit. For over 10 years, he has been traveling the world with a camera in search of beautiful landscapes and interesting people. He graduated from the Faculty of Film and Photography at the College of Art and Design in Łódź. He has been living in Bavaria since 2014 but recently moved back to Poland. Mikołaj in his own words: „Sielska Polska” (Idyllic Poland) is a book that was supposed to be a signpost. On the pages of it, I share with the readers some places that I have visited during my journeys around the country. I have been working as a photographer since 2008. Initially, I travelled only in search of landscapes. Later, I began to appreciate the cultural richness of the regions I visited. When in 2016 I became the editor-in-chief of the Slow Road project, some extraordinary people joined this puzzle. They motivated me to collect all these materials. I realised that Poland is an extraordinary country. Despite the fact that I was living permanently in Bavaria, I did not enjoy anything more than the view of the Podlasie field road, a haystack near Nowy Targ or the sound of the Baltic Sea in Łeba. I share my world with the readers. I have already visited over 200 agritourism facilities in Poland. Of these, I have chosen 17 favourite places. I added 389 more which in my opinion are the most interesting spots to visit in Poland and this way the picture of “Idyllic Poland” was created.
SEE MORE AT:
www.gospodarek.pl All photos: Mikołaj Gospodarek "Sielska Polska" Mutico, 2017 hardcover, pages: 168 Format: 22.5 x 26.0 cm ISBN: 978-83-7763-408-0
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PHOTOS AND TEXT BY MIKOŁAJ GOSPODAREK
38 km in a straight line. This is exactly the distance between Jackowo and the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw. When you watch the morning cattle drive through the middle of the village, it is difficult to believe that somewhere close to you, in the five-star hotels, the business world awakens with the taste of coffee. Masovia is a land of contrasts. The Bug is a river that fits here perfectly. It has not let to be tamed. People in many ways tried to subordinate it to their visions. This, however, failed. Over 770 km of free river. It has its springs in Ukraine, and then it breaks through Belarus and flows into Poland. Initially, it snakes along the border. The closer to Masovia, the river becomes wider and the water calmer. When you sit on the Bug River, you can feel that the calmness collected on the way from fields, meadows and forests floats over its waters.
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It was my 30th birthday. Frost creaked outside the window. I came to Basia just after sunset. Frozen snow creaked underfoot. Just behind the willows, under the ice, the Bug River flowed. In the summer, standing on the porch, you can see it very clearly, just in front of you. In winter, I could see just an ice-desert picture. Friendly barking was coming from the inside of the house. After a while, together with fire-place warmth, Synek jumped outside. A dinky dog that is always the first to greet the guests. Basia was waiting for me at the door. That's how I first came to the "House of the Willows". Why of the willows? At subsequent visits, I felt encouraged and asked. Basia took me for a short walk. In a rowing boat, we managed across a little oxbow and I could see the answer by myself...
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Wind in the willows Mazovia
THERE IS SOMETHING GREAT IN BRAVING THE UNKNOWN www.gospodarek.pl All photos: Mikołaj Gospodarek Sielska Polska Mutico, 2017 hardcover, pages: 168 Format: 22.5 x 26.0 cm ISBN: 978-83-7763-408-0
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Looking from the Bug side, this beautiful wooden house stands above the willows. It’s just like heaven. Paradise moved and found. One autumn day, Basia found this house in Podlasie. Disassembled and moved to a new place, it received a second life. The plot had been waiting for her for years. Today nobody remembers why this particular piece of land remained empty. It seems like it was just waiting for her.
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Initially, it was a home of creative work. Painters and artists used to meet in it. Today it is open to everyone. Basia’s house in Jackowo is visited by Warsaw residents, who are tired of the city life, families with small children or anglers. This place works like a magnet. You can feel amazing harmony in it. The living room downstairs is vibrant with life. The kitchen combined with the dining room is a brilliant idea. Basia does not stop conversations while cooking. The food that comes to her table is delicious. All products come from nearby farmers and breeders. 46 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
It was here, where after many years, I could remember the true taste of potatoes. There are also local flavours here. The Kurpie cuisine is not uncommon here. You will come to the "House over the willows” for a moment of deep breath, to stop and get stronger. It really works like a sanatorium for the soul and body.
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Masovia is a beautiful and little-known land. Traveling only along the Bug you can discover its unusual climate. When I dive into other corners of this region, it turns out that in the heart of Poland we have a paradise. A beautiful and forgotten paradise.
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The area around Jackowo is wonderfully peaceful. Fields stretching to the horizon and willows scattered here and there. Small villages with farms around them. People passing by on the way often look at visitors with a smile. Besides the main roads, the traffic here is rather small. Life seems to be running in slow motion.
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Mazury / Masuria explorer REFLECTIONS
PHOTOS BY
Wojciech Bytner and lovePoland
Wojciech Bytner www.facebook.com/wojciech.bytner
Masuria and the Masurian Lake District are known in Polish as Kraina Tysiąca Jezior and in German as Land der Tausend Seen, meaning “land of a thousand lakes.” The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lakeland is a lake district in northeastern Poland within the geographical region of Masuria, in the past inhabited by Masurians who spoke the Masurian dialect. It contains more than 2,000 lakes. The district had been elected as one of the 28 finalists of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
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The Lakeland extends roughly 290km (180 miles) eastwards from the lower Vistula to the Poland–Russia border, and occupies an area of roughly 52,000 square kilometres (20,000sq mi). Administratively, the Lake District lies within the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Small parts of the district lie within the Masovian and Podlaskie
PHOTO ART GALLERY WOJCIECH BYTNER Mazury
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TAKE ME AWAY TO MAZURY Reflexions by Wojciech Bytner www.facebook.com/wojciech.bytner
Masuria: a place where the last witch in Europe was burnt at the stake, a place where we can find a 200-year-old pyramid, a place of hundreds of lakes, a place where, after floundering through the forest, you can find a unique tower. What more would you need to encourage you to visit this area? TLP: Wojciech, you have been dealing with photography for years and you can probably say that it is an inseparable part of your life. Let's talk about photography, the landscape of Poland and magical Masurian Lakeland. Looking at your creativity, one can get the impression that you are the 'old school' photographer. Your photos do not have too many, so fashionable recently, 'improvements', they rather reflect the image in its natural beauty… Do you agree with this observation? Where from such an approach to the subject? WB: An old school? Rather natural. These are years of experience in landscape perception based on my father's painting and many other factors that made me photograph
in this way. Yes, that's a correct observation – I try not to use unnecessary effects and embellishments, I think that nature gives the beauty which does not need to be improved. TLP: It may seem that landscape photography is your main interest, what’'s the origin of this 'passion' for nature? WB: Photography of landscapes and nature is only a part of my work. I am a photographer and I do not limit myself to themes. I like reportage - its dynamics, macro photography, portrait, I deal commercially with product photography, events, I also like to turn towards more ambitious works such as still life. All this has a background in the art of painting, which was a crucial part of my life when I grew up. The love of nature is only an effect; the best compositions of the image are created by nature itself. It's perfect and you do not have to create it – it's enough just to take a photo.
TLP: And other passions? Inspirations? What could you talk about with your friends for hours?
TLP: Masuria is one of the most frequently appearing topics in your photos and yet you are not an inhabitant of the Land of Thousand Lakes, is this a kind of a special place in your life? How often do you visit the region? WB: It was in the 80's, I was a teenager when I first came to Masuria. To this day I do not understand myself why I do not live there (yet). This is not just a great impression. The delight sounds better and lasts from the first sight. How often do I go to Masuria? Definitely too rare. It happened that I spent there 3/7 days a week; today it is much less often. But... TLP: The Masurian Lakeland is quite an unusual place, not only because of its unique beauty but also for an interesting, sometimes tragic history. Do you have any hidden corners you most often like to visit and photograph?
WB: Śniardwy is majesty and respect, Śniardwy is out of competition. Krutynia is also unparalleled. However, talking about a favourite corner of Masuria is like judging your own children – they are all equal. Each has its individuality, uniqueness, charm, beauty. A good example is the Babant River, which is still withstanding tourists. TLP: And what would you recommend to someone who would like to see something hidden or less known? WB: After all, Masuria, despite the fact that it is associated with relaxation by the water, may also be a very interesting solution for tourists not so keen on water, for example in places such the Rospuda River Valley, Giżycko, Mikołajki, Olecko, and the area around Gołdopiwa Lake. Once I asked a native inhabitant of the Masurian Lakeland where to go for mushrooms? He showed me the place. I went there. I h did not find any mushrooms. So I went where the day took me. There were plenty of mushrooms. It’s just the way the Masurian Lakeland is.
WB: Yes, there are such places, but they do not have a historical background. I do not see Masuria as a place politically / historically severely experienced, I am more interested in the climate, atmosphere, landscape and nature. I visit the southern parts of Masuria most often, those least known to tourists, although it is difficult to avoid them. I sneak into those places that lie outside of the trails. The Masurian Lakeland has a lot of unique places that I have met which lie outside the routes described in tourist guides. There are, for example, cemeteries hidden in forests, neglected and overgrown, there are looted sarcophagi and many other places. A very interesting part of the Masuria is also the Old German architecture, the uniqueness of evangelical churches and more. It is enough to visit the road between Wojnowo and Ukta, preferably by bike, see the buildings, turn to the Old Believers on Duś lake and get to know their history.
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SNOITANITSED TSEB
WB: A difficult question. I am known from the fact that when I start talking about photography, I cannot finish, I sink in it, I forget myself and I have no moderation. Yes, I have other passions, e.g. music, but it is only an inspiration to search for images, phenomena and places that are worth photographing... and the circle closes.
TLP: You cannot talk about Masuria without asking about lakes and rivers... which of them you like the most? In many photographs we can see Śniardwy lake, but there are also small, charming little rivers?
PHOTO ART GALLERY WOJCIECH BYTNER
Mazury
The Masurian Lakeland is thinly populated, with many forests, meadows, and pastures. Fertile black and brown soils are found in the western part of the district and produce wheat and sugar beets; sandy soils in the eastern part of the district produce potatoes and rye.
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PHOTO ART GALLERY WOJCIECH BYTNER
Mazury
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PHOTO ART GALLERY WOJCIECH BYTNER
Mazury
Masuria is famous for its lakes and forests, offering a wide range of outdoor activities from sailing to kayaking and swimming. In addition to lakes, the Masurian region also has many rivers used for fly fishing, and forest areas that offer many trails for trekking and biking. There is also a variety of wildlife, edible berries and mushrooms, and large protected areas, including the Masurian Landscape Park that includes eleven nature reserves such as the Ĺ uknajno Lake that is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
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PHOTO ART GALLERY WOJCIECH BYTNER
Mazury
Rańsk, formerly Rheinswein, is a small, picturesque village, which dates back to the 14th century. It took its name from Rańskie Lake on the shore of which the village is located.In 1486, The Grand Master of the Teutonic Order gave the Kuchmeister von Sternberg brothers some landed estate, socalled Rańskie goods. These goods were divided and changed their owners for many times. At the beginning of the 20th century, part of the estate in Rańsk was disseminated, although a part of that still constituted noble land estate. To this day, there have remained some of the old Rańsk buildings – some farm buildings, a cowshed, a mill, red brick houses, and a former dairy. The most unique of all the buildings in the village is the Evangelical-Augsburg church. It was erected in the years 1815-1827. Building blocks for it were field stones, typical for these areas, deposited here by the glacier during the last glaciation. It shows interesting combination of the stone and the Prussian wall, from which the tower overlooking the whole area was built.. In this church, masses are constantly held by the visiting pastor.Rańsk is located on the north-eastern shore of Rańskie Lake on the road No. 600 Szczytno – Mrągowo. In the village there are two grocery stores and a bakery where you can always buy fresh Masurian bread. The surrounding houses are built in Masurian style with stones found on the local fields.
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PHOTO ART GALLERY WOJCIECH BYTNER
Mazury
The lakes are well connected by rivers and canals, forming an extensive system of waterways. The 18th-century Masurian Canal links this system to the Baltic Sea. The whole area is a prime tourist destination, frequented by boating enthusiasts, canoeists, anglers, hikers, bikers and nature-lovers. It is one of the most famous lake districts in Central Europe and a popular vacation spot, with the highest number of visitors every year.
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Mazury
WOJCIECH BYTNER www.facebook.com/wojciech.bytner 59Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
, Lipka Swieta , PHOTOS: WOJECIECH BYTNER
SACRET PLACESY
According to legend, the name Heiligelinde (Holy Linden tree) Święta Lipka – Holy Tilia (lime tree) - referred to a tree with a wooden statue of Mary under which miracles took place, though it may stem from a sacred grove of the Old Prussians. St. Mary’ s Sanctuary in Święta Lipka is located 12km from Kętrzyn in a picturesque valley floor and is regarded as one of the most important landmarked buildings of Late Baroque in northern Poland. The whole structure consists of: the church, arcaded cloisters and a convent. The church comes with a legend about a convict imprisoned in a cell of St. George’s Church in Kętrzyn. The building has rich and diverse ornaments, which preserved in an almost intact state. Mainly by wooden and stone sculptures, murals and paintings on canvas. The entrance leads through an ornate wrought-iron gate(made by Jan Schwartz from Reszel in 17th century).
The church’s most famous feature is the Baroque organ, built in 1721 by Johann Mosengel from Konigsberg. Since he paid attention not only to the instruments’sound but also to the appearance, the organs have a set of statues, which move whenever the instrument is played. The work of art is admired to this day. The parish organizes concerts, so called Świetolipskie Wieczory Muzyczne(in Eng. Święta Lipka’s Musical Evenings). Pipe organs concerts are held on every Friday (July and August), during which multiple artists from Poland and abroad give their performances.
A chapel at the site was first mentioned in a 1491 deed issued by Johann von Tiefen, then Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights. At this time Heiligelinde was already a pilgrimage site, with an inn. It was destroyed about 1525 during the Protestant Reformation, during which the region became Lutheran. Although the village lay in the protestant region of Masuria, the Roman Catholic faith was again approved in the East Prussia in 1605. The chapel was rebuilt by the Jesuits and consecrated in 1619 and became a popular pilgrimage site among the Roman Catholic populace of the surrounding counties as well as the Lutheran Masurians. The nave of the present church was finished in 1693, the facade and the adjacent cloister added by 1730. 61Â TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
M E D I A
S U P P O R T
O F
L O V E
P O L A N D
THE WARSAW RISING MUSEUM Address: Grzybowska 79 00-844 Warsaw Poland
OPENING HOURS (check before visiting) Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10.00a.m. - 6.00p.m., Thursday 10.00 a.m. - 8.00p.m., Saturday and Sunday - 10.00a.m. - 6.00p.m., Tuesday - closed ticket office: (012) 433-59-63 admission on Sundays is free www.1944.pl/en
Logotype of the Polish History Museum, by Piotr Młodożeniec
Fot. Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl source: www.1944.pl/en
THE WARSAW RISING MUSEUM
With the total area of more than 3000m2, 800 exhibition items, approximately 1500 photographs, films and sound recordings, history of the days preceding the Rising is told.
The Warsaw Rising Museum was opened on the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of fighting in Warsaw. The Museum is a tribute of Warsaw’'s residents to those who fought and died for independent Poland and its free capital. The exhibition depicts fighting and everyday life during the Rising, keeping occupation terror in the background. Complexity of the international situation at the time of the Rising is portrayed, including the post– war years of the Communist regime and the fate of Insurgents in the People's Republic of Poland (PRL).
Visitors are guided through the subsequent stages of the Rising until the time when the Insurgents left Warsaw. Their further fate is also portrayed. The second part of the permanent exhibition in Hall B, presents the story of Allied airdrops. Its highlight is a replica of a Liberator B-24J bomber. Much of the exhibition has been devoted to the Germans and their allies, showing their actions in Warsaw as documented in official texts from the time of the Rising and in private notes. The stories of eye witnesses of the August and September 1944 events are played in Hall B.
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A movie theatre shows films about the Rising on a panoramic screen. At the mezzanine gallery various temporary exhibition are displayed. The Museum tower is a special attraction with a view of the Freedom Park and the city of Warsaw.
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Ciechocinek and saline graduation towers
Fot. Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl source: www.ciechocinek.pl
Ciechocinek, one of the most known health resorts of our country, lies on the left bank of Wisła, between Toruń and Włocławek in the picturesque proglacial stream-valley of the “Queen of Polish Rivers”– with scarcely twelve thousand inhabitants. When after the I partition of Poland Wieliczka and Bochnia, the localities rich with salt deposits found themselves under the Austrian annexation, the saline springs of Słońsk and Ciechocinek have attracted attention of competent departments of the new administration. On initiative of Stanisław Staszic, who was a right hand of Finance Minister of the Polish Kingdom – the duke Franciszek Ksawery DruckiLubecki, a project of salt gaining from saline springs was launched. The enterprise was animated by the active person in economy Konstanty Leon Wolicki.
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Fot. Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl
As in the past Ciechocinek attracts patients and holiday-makers not only with it’s curative qualities, but also with it’'s picturesque situation, it's green of it's numerous squares and parks, with it’s lovely and cosy climate of little cafes, with the whisper of fountains, the solemnity of graduation towers, the charm of many walking places. 66 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
Fot. Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl
The crucial date in Ciechocinek's history was 1836, when in the local inn four treatment copper bathtubs have been installed. 120 persons have at that time taken advantage of saline baths. This has given start to the Health Springs Enterprise, that was the origin of the Health Resort. From that time on the town begins to gain fame as health resort. Baths are originating, the number of tubes is increasing. After the WWII on 21 January 1945 reactivation of the health resort has begun very quickly. Since 1950 a whole-year’'s treatment activity was resumed. Particularly intensively the town has developed during the late fifties in the sixties and seventies. Many tradeowned sanatoriums and preventoriums originated in this time. Since 1998 the at least overhauled Summer Theatre building in which various cultural entertainments of the town are taking place, delights eyes of guests and patients. Presently Ciechocinek deserves fully it’'s honourable name of “The Pearl of Polish Health Resorts” and is one of most popular health resort towns in Poland.
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Fot. Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl
During the thirties Ciechocinek begins to trans-form into a garden-town. It was the vision fulfilment of the greens architect Zygmunt Hellwig, the creator of Ciechocinek's Flower-Carpets, of it’'s Flower Clock and of many Parks and squares.
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less known Castles you should visit by lovePoland
discover
CASTLES YOU SHOULD VISIT Most of us know, have heard or have been to the Wawel Castle, Malbork or Książ. However, in Poland there are hundreds of castles. Powerful and tiny, medieval and much younger, royal and magnates’, neat and ruined, stone and brick, state and private, made available for sightseeing and "locked up tighter than a drum". All without exception, however, are huge tourist attractions. Let's get to know slightly less popular ones as it is worth it.
BOBOLICE The Bobolice Castle is a 14th-century royal castle in the village of Bobolice. The complex is located within a semi-mountainous highland region called the Polish Jura. The castle in Bublitz was built by King Casimir III the Great in the middle of the 14th century, probably in place of an earlier wooden structure. The castle was a part of the defence system of royal strongholds protecting the western border of Poland on the side of Silesia. According to 15th century chronicles, a representative of the Krezowie family captured and imprisoned his niece in the Bublitz Castle. She is still said to haunt the stronghold as a lady in white. There is also a tale about two twin brothers, owners of castles in Mirów and Bublitz.Legend has it that they dug a tunnel between the two strongholds so that they could often meet tête à tête. One day they came into possession of a big treasure – they hid it in the tunnel and put an odious-looking witch on guard to deter any potential thieves. The brothers understood each other perfectly and could go through fire and water for each other. However, their friendship was put to a difficult test, when one brother brought a beautiful girl from his war expedition.
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Suspecting that his twin brother may have fallen in love with the girl, he locked her in the cellar near the treasure. One day, during the absence of the witch, who was attending a witches’ sabbath at the Bald Mount, he caught the pair of lovers in the vault. He got angry, murdered his brother and bricked up the girl in the castle dungeons. The ghost of the girl is still said to haunt the castle tower. The beginning of the decline of the castle dates back to 1587, when it was heavily devastated during the invasion of Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria. The castle is situated on a steep rocky hill (360 m above sea level). Up till now, only the upper part of the stronghold (the residential building with at least two storeys and remnants of the cylindrical wall tower) has survived. The castle was accessible through a drawbridge over the dry moat, and the entire construction was surrounded by walls with battlements, made of local white limestone.
location Zamek Bobolice (Bobolice Castle) 42-320 Niegowa GPS: N 50°36'47,85'' E 19°29'34,79''
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PIESKOWA SKALA Pieskowa Skała castle, built by King Casimir III the Great (Kazimierz Wielki), is one of the best-known examples of a defensive Polish Renaissance architecture. It was erected in the first half of the 14th century. It is part of the chain of fortified castles along the Trail of the Eagle's Nests, along the highland plane of the Polish Jura (Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska) extending north-west from Kraków to the city of Częstochowa. The castle was renovated and donated in 1377 by king Louis I of Hungary (Ludwik Węgierski) to Piotr Szafraniec of Łuczyce, according to the 15th century chronicler Jan Długosz. The Szafraniec family gained the full ownership rights of the castle in 1422 from King Władysław Jagiełło in recognition of faithful service at the Battle of Grunwald by Piotr Szafraniec, the chamberlain of Kraków. The castle was rebuilt in 1542– 1544 by Niccolò Castiglione with participation from Gabriel Słoński of Kraków. The sponsor of the castle's reconstruction in the mannerist style was the Calvinist, Stanisław Szafraniec, voivode of Sandomierz.
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At that time the original medieval tower was transformed into a scenic double loggia decorated in the sgraffito technique. Between 1557 and 1578, the trapezoid shape courtyard was surrounded at the level of two upper storeys by arcades, embellished with 21 mascarons. The arcade risalit above the gate is a 17th-century addition. The last owner of the castle of Szafraniec family was Jędrzej, Stanisław's son, who died childless in 1608. After his death the estate was purchased by Maciej Łubnicki and later by the Zebrzydowski family. In 1640 Michał Zebrzydowski built the bastion fortifications with baroque gate and a chapel. The castle changed hands many times over the centuries. In 1903 it was bought by the Pieskowa Skała Society led by Adolf Dygasiński and with time turned over to the Polish state and meticulously restored.
location Sułoszowa 32-045 Sułoszowa State: MAŁOPOLSKIE Latitude and Longitude: 50.250833,19.789389
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OGRODZIENIEC Ogrodzieniec Castle is a ruined medieval castle in the semi-mountainous highland region called the Polish Jura in south-central Poland. Rebuilt several times in its history, the castle was originally built in the 14th-15th century by the Włodkowie Sulimczycy family. The castle is situated on the 515.5-metre-high Castle Mountain, the highest hill of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. Located on the Trail of the Eagles' Nests, the ruins are open to visitors. Established in the early 12th century, during the reign of Bolesław III Wrymouth, the first stronghold was razed by the Tatars in 1241. In the mid-14th century a new gothic castle was built here to accommodate the Włodek Sulima family. Surrounded by three high rocks, the castle was well integrated into the area. The defensive walls were built to close the circuit formed by the rocks, and a narrow opening between two of the rocks served as an entrance. The last proprietor of the castle was the neighbouring Wołoczyński family. After the Second World War, the castle was nationalized. The work to preserve the ruins and open them to visitors was started in 1949 and finished in 1973.
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On the bottom floor, fragments of the renaissance frescos of lilies are still visible. Close to the castle, on the market of Podzamcze village, stands a chapel built from architectural elements (portal, volutes, cornice) of the castle. Inside the chapel are original elements of the castle chapel: the vault keystone, round shot said to have fallen into the castle during the Swedish Deluge (1655-1660), and a Renaissance Our Lady sculpture. The sculpture has been painted in the folk style (with oil paint) by the locals, obscuring its original appearance. According to some the Ogrodzieniec Castle is a place haunted by mighty dark powers. There have been locally famous reports of the "Black Dog of Ogrodzieniec" being seen prowling the ruins in the night-time. Witnesses have claimed that the spectre is a black dog much larger than an ordinary dog, has burning eyes, and pulls a heavy chain. The dog is believed to be the soul of the Castellan of Cracow, Stanisław Warszycki, whose soul also supposedly haunts the ruins of the Dańków Castle, where it appears as a headless horseman.
location ul. Kosciuszki 66 | Podzamcze, 42-440 Ogrodzieniec Latitude and Longitude: 50.4531° N, 19.5521° E
photo: Łukasz Śmigasiewicz CC BY-SA 3.0 pl
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traditions
I feel sad, o Lord! For me you've painted In the west a beaming rainbow of glitter Before me you put out a flaming star In the azure water… Though you gild me the sky and water so I feel sad, o Lord! Juliusz Slowacki
the All Saints' Day 1 November by travel.lovePoland and Łukasz Gozdera source: polska.pl/tourism/traditions-and-holidays
All Saints’ Day is celebrated solemnly in Poland. The first of November is a bank holiday during which people visit cemeteries and gather round their family graves, laying flowers and lighting candles. The Roman Catholic tradition (Festum Omnium Sanctorum) honouring all saints, both known and unknown, is one of the most important Polish holidays. People used to believe that on 1 November, the day the Church traditionally received offerings from believers to celebrate mass in memory of the dead, souls stuck in purgatory would roam around among the living. Pagan beliefs and celebrations have survived to the present day in the Podlasie Voivodeship, historically part of the eastern Slavic lands. Forefathers’s Eve, a tradition pre-dating Christianity commemorating restless souls, is still celebrated in some regions. 77 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
In many villages, food, drink and prayers are still offered to the souls that have to atone for their sins, to help ease their anger and make their journey to heaven more comfortable. The tradition of a feast during which bread, eggs and honey are consumed has also been preserved. According to one superstition, a spoon which falls to the ground should not be picked up as it is thought to have been snatched by a dead soul searching for food. In some villages in southern Poland, people continue to bake the “bread of the dead,” marked with a cross and prepared early enough so as not to torture souls which, it was believed, used ovens and chimneys as the shortest way to heaven. People used to share the “bread of the dead” with priests and beggars who would say a prayer for the dead.
, Powazki Cemetery Warsaw photos thanks to Łukasz Gozdera
The Powązki Cemetery was established on 4 November 1790, it was consecrated on 20 May 1792 and initially covered the area of only about 2.5ha. In the same year the Saint Karol Boromeusz Church, designed by Dominik Merlini, was built at the cemetery. The catacombs were also soon built. Soon afterwards, several other cemeteries were founded in the area: Jewish, Calvinist, Lutheran, Caucasian and Tatar. The Orthodox cemetery is located not far from the Powązki necropolis.
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the All Souls' Day 2 November by travel.lovePoland and Łukasz Gozdera
Zaduszki or Dzień Zaduszny is a Polish name of All Souls' Day, Western Christian holiday celebrated on 2 November, a day after All Saint's Day. The word Zaduszki originating from Dzień Zaduszny, can be roughly translated into English as "the day of prayers for the souls". On this day people visit cemeteries to light candles and pray for the souls of the dead, especially those believed to be in purgatory. It was believed that during the days of Zaduszki in the autumn, the spirits of deceased relatives visited their old homes by gathering near the windows or on the left side of the main doorway. Eventually, it was believed that as they entered the house, they would warm themselves by the home's hearth and search for the commemoration meal prepared for them. Prior to returning to the Otherworld, the souls went to church for a special nighttime mass by the dead priest's soul. The living were not allowed to watch the dead; those who broke this rule would be punished severely. 79 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
The ritual of Zaduszki began with caring for the cemeteries: people tidied the graves of their relatives, decorated them with flowers, lit the candles; a collective prayer for the dead was organized, and concluded with having the priest bless the graves with prayers and holy water. Homeowners in Eastern Poland prepared to meet the dead by cleaning and preparing the house for the visit; covering the floor with sand, leaving the door or window open, moving a bench closer to the hearth. And on this bench, a dish of water, a comb, and a towel were placed, so that the souls could wash themselves and comb their hair. In some regions women would traditionally bake special bread for souls on the Zaduszki holiday. The bread was brought to the cemetery and given to the poor, children, clerics, or simply left on the graves in a similar vein to modern-day 'trick-or-treating'. Families have traditionally tried to give out as much as possible believing that this would help to bring in prosperity.
, Powazki Cemetery Warsaw photos thanks to Łukasz Gozdera
Like many of the old European cemeteries, Powązki's tombstones were created by some of the most renowned sculptors of the age, Polish and foreign. Some of the monuments are excellent examples of various styles in art and architecture. On All Saints Day (November 1st) and Zaduszki (November 2nd) in Warsaw, vigils are held not only in the Roman Catholic cemeteries, but in the Protestant, Muslim, Jewish and Orthodox cemeteries as well. At Powązki Cemetery, all the graves are decorated with candles.
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wilder KARPATY THE MAGICAL LAND PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY
WŁODZIMIERZ STACHOŃ
Karpaty the Magical Land (Karpaty - magiczna kraina) photography by Włodzimierz Stachoń
Włodzimierz Stachoń: lives and works in Gromnik (Tarnów county). For almost 25 years, he has been involved in nature photography and journalism. Over 5,000 photographs of his authorship have been published in over 20 national magazines (nature, forest, fishing, hunting, sightseeing and others) The next thousand photos can be found on the pages of six albums showing the beauty of nature in south-eastern Poland. More about the author's creative work on www.wlodzimierzstachon.pl on the profile of Karpaty-magiczna kraina.
The Carpathian Mountains are one of the more extensive mountain ranges in the world – they are also the second highest region of Europe. The Carpathians stretch over the territories of eight countries and cover many mountain chains. They are extremely diverse, both in the geological and landscape dimensions. What do Carpathians look like through the prism of Włodzimierz Stachoń – a wanderer traveling across the mountains and the valleys, a wanderer who looks for a magical land and tells about it, among other things, on the profile of Karpaty Magiczna Kraina. TLP: You have been wandering the Carpathian paths for many years. Do you remember how it started and how the photographic passion woke up in you? WS: The adventure with nature of the Carpathians did not start in the Carpathians themselves, but at the foot of the mountains, in the Ciężkowickie Foothills, in my homeland, in the valley of the Biała Dunajecka River. In childhood, instead of kindergarten, I "escaped" to meadows and fields in the river valley to look at the surrounding nature. Once, I received from my parents a photo album by Puchalski "Among the reeds and waters", bought somewhere at a used book sellers. The reading of this album as well as Puchalski's films broadcast on TV in black and white at that time made me dream that in the future I would also capture nature, especially wild animals, in photographs.
My first nature photo – the main motive of which was to be a stork standing on a straw stack – I took with the camera of my older brother; what emotions accompanied the stalk towards the stork! The picture was created but due to the quality of the equipment and, despite everything, too big distance to the stork, the main character was a small barely visible point in the picture... Over time, however, very slowly because of many obstacles (lack of appropriate accessories for photographing, lack of literature and internet where today you can find a lot of information about where and how to photograph) my photos started to look somehow better which does not change the fact that first years of photographic adventure were joyous "snapping" and it was difficult to be really satisfied with the results achieved then. However, this time was an excellent way of learning to outwit the well-developed senses of wild animals, and also to train the great patience necessary in nature photography, as well as the lesson of humility and perseverance so needed in this field of photography which seems to be one of the most difficult. TLP: Somewhere, I heard that the Carpathians are a land to which you only go once, and then only return constantly. Do you think this is a thorough summary? What does it result from? Do you have your beloved part of the Carpathians to which you often be back? 82 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
KARPATY THE MAGICAL LAND WŁODZIMIERZ STACHOŃ
WS: The Carpathians have charmed many people. The mountains have something fascinating and beautiful in them and at the same time they arouse admiration and respect. They can delight even the most fastidious traveller and at the same time are inaccessible and can be dangerous. They have something that causes people to return many times to the same places, looking forward to another trip to the mountains. It is difficult to indicate my favourite place in the Carpathians, because there are so many of them. I often return to the Pieniny Mountains, mainly for magnificent landscapes – there are obligatory night marches to reach the most beautiful scenic spots before sunrise. I am still very impressed by the majesty and beauty of the Tatra Mountains, although for a nature photographer it is a huge challenge and difficulty as our highest mountains are totally overcrowded. But can you bear grudges that so many people want to see the beauty of the mountains for themselves? The area of the Low Beskids is one of my favourites, that I often return to - not only to their betterknown part of the Magura National Park, but mostly to all areas less penetrated by tourists – the region of the highest peak in the Low Beskids-Lackowa. In addition, the Sądecczyzna - the Jaworzyna Krynicka and Radziejowa
ranges, the Beskid Wyspowy Mountains with a beautiful viewpoint on Mogielica and of course the Bieszczady Mountains - the land of a wolf, a bear and a wisent. TLP: Another opinion that appears about the Carpathians is that this is a place (or places) in the heart of Europe where you can forget about the race, where people live almost as they used to many years ago – in the rhythm designated by successive trailings of the sheep... Is this still valid? After all, our surroundings are developing at unusually fast pace and places sunk in nature are still diminishing... WS: There is no doubt that the Carpathians are also subjected to increasing pressure on the part of the human being, certainly the places which until recently were considered to be calm and forgotten are rapidly decreasing. Nevertheless, time has stopped in many places in the Bieszczady Mountains, in the Low Beskid and Przemyśl Foothills. It's really an amazing experience while driving a country road I pass a herd of cows roaming to the pasture themselves, and in the middle of a small village at the foot of Lackowa, in the early hours of the morning, there are deer passing from one sanctuary to another, because everywhere around me there are vast meadows and impassable forests...
TLP: You have been photographing the Carpathians for years. In your photographs one can find not only landscapes, but above all the wild nature or the animal kingdom. What do you look for taking your photographs... what do you want to show? WS: In nature photography, the most fascinating but also the most difficult is photographing wild animals. The vast majority of them avoid meeting people and it is difficult to find and meet them, let alone the possibility of taking a successful photo. Therefore, the photography of wild animals is a constant, long-hour waiting for four-legged or winged models, preceded by observations and learning about their habits. It includes building various lookouts and hides in secluded places thanks to which you can shorten the distance to the photographed animals. In the mountains, the scale of difficulty additionally increases due to the relief and unavailability of the area. Here, in contrast to flat areas, the car must be left far away from the destination, and heavy equipment, water and many other necessary accessories you simply need to carry on your own. It is finally a fight with weaknesses, insomnia, as well as... increased tolerance for creatures that we disgust – ticks, mosquitoes, naps – for attacks of which we are constantly exposed by spending a lot of time in the forest.
Perhaps the greatest satisfaction in nature photography is when you manage to outwit the well-developed senses of wild animals and the awareness that at a given moment we can see scenes that for most of people are only available on TV screens. And through publications, you get the opportunity to show the beauty of nature to all those who for various reasons cannot spend many hours in the forest or water to view nature. TLP: The Carpathians are a real animal kingdom. What predators can be found on the Carpathian paths? There are supposedly many of them, including the species being extinct in other areas… WS: Indeed, the Carpathians are a real kingdom of wild animals, especially large predators. The Bieszczady Mountains, Sądecczyzna, Low Beskid, Przemyśl Foothills – these are the only places in our country where all large predators occur: bear, wolf, lynx and wildcat. In the Bieszczady Mountains, wisents are an additional attraction. Moreover there are wonderful Carpathian deer. It is in the Carpathians that one can see majestic eagles, rare in the country, and in some regions of the Carpathians (the Tatra Mountains, Sądecczyzna, Babia Góra, the Gorce Mountains) there are beautiful and unfortunately very rare forest grouse: capercaillie and black grouse.
TLP: Please tell me about the moments that you remember best when it comes to photographs of the Carpathian nature. Are these meetings with wild animals or maybe difficult conditions of shooting on cold autumn mornings? Or maybe something completely different... contacts with people? WS: For many years of photographic wanderings, there have been lots of such meetings but a few events especially got stuck in my mind. One of them was the first and only meeting I have ever had with one of the innermost inhabitants of the Carpathian wilderness – a lynx. During the week-long stay in the Radziejowa range, the aim of which was to photograph the rut, an unexpected meeting took place. Two young lynxes were playing near the forest road and the pictures were created thanks... to the ravens. These intelligent birds raised a loud alarm at the sight of four-legged predators. I moved with interest to the screaming crows, and when I arrived, it turned out that the real birds’ excitement was caused by the view of lynxex playing nearby. The first photographic meetings with a bear and a wolf were also unusual for me. The first bear in my life (which actually was a female) I photographed when I hid for the first time to this end on the Bieszczady meadow near Bukowiec. The bear in this place had previously been recorded by photo traps installed by foresters, but before the memorable evening the bear had not appeared in this place for a long time. In turn, the first wolves I captured on the photos during the time of sitting to shoot... wisents. The Bieszczady giants were coming out to feed in the same place for several evenings in a row – in the forest glade near Baligród. Again, the photo trap turned out to be irreplaceable in targeting the animals. During the memorable evening, the wisents did not appear; when we both with my companion resigned from the expedition, we were above to leave our shelter when, unexpectedly, still in the daylight, a pack of wolves appeared in the meadow! 85 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
What a joy it was for us – I made the longed-for pictures, and my companion, a well-known forest ranger from Bukowiec made a beautiful movie with wolves. However, not all photographic expeditions end as happily as those with a bear or wolf. Most often, however, we return from the field with nothing, often even without a single photo. Nature is beautiful and unpredictable, not everything can be planned and directed... Events related to the conditions in which it often comes to photograph in the mountains are very memorable as well. What I am afraid the most is a sudden breakdown of the weather; many years ago on the way to Świnica through Zawrat I experienced a monstrous storm. Such events make us aware of the strength and power of nature towards which we are completely defenceless. Unfortunately, they are also extremely dangerous. Therefore, I definitely prefer autumn cold mornings and winter freezing frost (in the mountains it still happens!) than summer heat which often ends with violent storms. TLP: Where would you invite travellers who want to experience the true and magical spirit of the Carpathians? The Tatras, Pieniny... These are well known, but Magura National Park is less familiar... and maybe to some other place? WS: The Tatras, Pieniny, although well known, are "obligatory" places for every traveler. It's definitely worth a bit of trouble and setting out on the trail early in the morning and if it is possible and there are no prohibitions even at night. Most of us admire the panorama seen from Three Crowns or Sokolica, reaching these places at noon. Meanwhile, at dawn and sunrise, the mountains turn into a fairy-tale – truly magical land. Wanderers who are looking for contact with truly wild nature and do not like crowds of tourists have a choice of previously mentioned Low Beskids, Sądecczyzna, the Beskid Wyspowy Mountains and, of course, less frequented places in the Bieszczady Mountains.
KARPATY THE MAGICAL LAND (KARPATY - MAGICZNA KRAINA) PHOTOGRAPHY BY WŁODZIMIERZ STACHOŃ
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KARPATY THE MAGICAL LAND (KARPATY - MAGICZNA KRAINA) PHOTOGRAPHY BY WŁODZIMIERZ STACHOŃ
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KARPATY THE MAGICAL LAND (KARPATY - MAGICZNA KRAINA) PHOTOGRAPHY BY WŁODZIMIERZ STACHOŃ
The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is the largest in size. It is native to European, Central Asian, and Siberian forests. While its conservation status has been classified as "least concern", populations of Eurasian lynx have been reduced or extirpated from Europe, where it is now being reintroduced. It is the third largest predator in Europe after the brown bear and the grey wolf. It is a strict carnivore, consuming about one or two kilograms of meat every day. The Eurasian lynx is one of the widest-ranging. During the summer, the lynx has a relatively short, reddish or brown coat which is replaced by a much thicker silver-grey to greyish-brown coat during winter. The lynx hunts by stalking and jumping its prey, helped by the rugged, forested country in which it resides. A favorite prey for the lynx in its woodland habitat is roe deer. It will feed however on whatever animal appears easiest, as it is an opportunistic predator much like its cousins. 88 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
KARPATY THE MAGICAL LAND (KARPATY - MAGICZNA KRAINA) PHOTOGRAPHY BY WŁODZIMIERZ STACHOŃ
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KARPATY THE MAGICAL LAND (KARPATY - MAGICZNA KRAINA) PHOTOGRAPHY BY WŁODZIMIERZ STACHOŃ
The European badger is a powerfully built black, white, brown and grey animal with a small head, a stocky body, small black eyes and short tail. Its weight varies, being 7–13kg (15–29lb) in spring but building up to 15–17kg (33–37lb) in autumn before the winter sleep period. It is nocturnal and is a social, burrowing animal that sleeps during the day in one of several setts in its territorial range. These burrows, which may house several badger families, have extensive systems of underground passages and chambers and have multiple entrances. Some setts have been in use for decades. Badgers are very fussy over the cleanliness of their burrow, carrying in fresh bedding and removing soiled material, and they defecate in latrines strategically situated around their territory.
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KARPATY THE MAGICAL LAND (KARPATY - MAGICZNA KRAINA) PHOTOGRAPHY BY WŁODZIMIERZ STACHOŃ
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KARPATY THE MAGICAL LAND (KARPATY - MAGICZNA KRAINA) PHOTOGRAPHY BY WŁODZIMIERZ STACHOŃ
The Eurasian hoopoe is a medium-sized bird, 25–32cm long, with a 44–48cm wingspan. It weighs 46–89g. The species is highly distinctive, with a long, thin tapering bill that is black with a fawn base. The strengthened musculature of the head allows the bill to be opened when probing inside the soil. The hoopoe has broad and rounded wings capable of strong flight; these are larger in the northern migratory subspecies. The hoopoe has a characteristic undulating flight, which is like that of a giant butterfly, caused by the wings half closing at the end of each beat or short sequence of beats.Adults may begin their moult after the breeding season and continue after they have migrated for the winter.
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STANISLAW IGNACY WITKIEWICZ THEATRE ZAKOPANE The Zakopane Theatre is a "Theatre - shelter" for theatre-freaks; i.e. all people who still feel the need to commune with art.
The Witkacy Theatre came into being on February 24, 1985, taking the name of Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz. It was founded by students and graduates of the acting and drama department of the State Higher School of Theatre in Kraków. They were joined by the pursuit of artistic independence, the willingness to search for ideas and ways of creating, supported by disagreement over the inertia of the cultural institutions of that time. Choosing the Patron was not accidental - a man connected with Zakopane, who understood theatre as a special kind of art. It is the theory of Witkacy's Pure Form, though conceived non-stereotypically, that had a great influence on the created performances and the atmosphere of the theatre, in which various recitals and concerts are presented and the Gallery of the Theatre works. It is a professional and artistic theatre. One of the premises of our Theatre is to discover and refer to the extremely valuable cultural heritage of Zakopane. The seat of the Theatre itself - the former Hydrotherapy Institute of Dr. Andrzej Chramiec - in its heyday in the first half of the twentieth century was the meeting place of the intellectual and artistic elite. In our opinion, the most important value of performances is the possibility of metaphysical
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experience, a sense of "strangeness of existence" through the theater. It is accomplished through such a harmonious combination of all elements of the performance so that they create a new value - "unity in multiplicity". The most important for us is the opportunity of meeting and dialogue with another human being through performances, exhibitions, concerts and other artistic events. The viewer is not one of many - he is an expected and warmly welcomed guest. Our performances, refusing to be too literally understood, are to be an attempt to make a conversation, so that each viewer, an "Individual Being", could discover something for himself. Performances – often composed of non-grammatical texts – talk about important, universal things: attitude of a man towards God, towards other people, towards values, facing important choices. Witkacy's theatre wants to testify to the truth of its time, it wants to be a theatre that we travel a lot because we do not avoid presenting our achievements outside our home office – we took part in prestigious festivals and theatre reviews, which brought us numerous awards and distinctions. We still want our audience to be surprised, to entertain, to make laugh and provoke reflection.
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photos by STANISLAW IGNACY WITKIEWICZ THEATRE
Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, son of Stanisław Witkiewicz, an artist and philosopher, creator of aesthetic and historiosophical theories, was born on 24th of February 1885 in Warsaw. He was also an author of novels and dramas. In 1917 as a czar's officer, he was a witness of the outbreak of the revolution in Russia. In Konstanty Puzyna's opinion, this experience had a decisive influence on the shaping of Witkacy's catastrophic world outlook. Forthcoming society was seen by him as an army of happy robots - the effect of thoughtlessness and the growth of use of narcotic antidotes, being the escape from unsolved contradictions of 20th century. He connected the resignation from the comprehension of human existence in metaphysical categories with a visible fall of religion, philosophy and art. He spent many years in Zakopane, which was then bringing together the colourful circle of literary and artistic personalities, getting the fame of the capital of cultural life in II Polish Republic. He committed a suicide near the village of Jeziory in Ukraine, 18 days after the aggression of Natzi army, the next day after the invasion of Soviet army into Poland. 95 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
ISSUE 14 APRIL
fête
POSTER ARTWORK DESIGN JACEK STANISZEWSKI in recognition of your outstanding contribution of time, dedication, and expertise to the 2018 World Humanitarian Report. Your help has given countless people around the world a voice - the one thing they need most.
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photo Adam Brzoza
"Oni albo Ha!Sio(R), czyli nie drażnić kota". There were three of us, Witkiewicz, Bruno Schulz and myself, the three musketeers of the Polish avant-garde in the inter-war period. As it now turns out, this avant-garde was not all that ethereal. And, as may seem proper for a true avant-garde artist, he was not understood during his life. Witkacy seemed to me a very strong personality, even a crushing one, a great mind, albeit a gloomy and disturbing one, an artist of excellent talents, but somehow touched by perversion, or a manner that made him more repelling than attractive, both in personal contact and in what he wrote. But after the years that have passed, it looks as if the spirit of the times is becoming more and more akin to this tragic spirit. It must be admitted that he was ahead of his own time and that time is only catching up with him now. Witold Gombrowicz, A Posthumous Autobiography
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fête
ISSUE 14 APRIL
POSTER ARTWORK DESIGN JACEK STANISZEWSKI Which is higher - art or philosophy? - no one can settle the score: without either of them life would be unbearable filth. Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz in The Only Way Out
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photo: Adam Brzoza
"Operetka"
In recent times, I was given a lot to think about by the view (I cannot put it otherwise, as, unfortunately I looked at it as if from a balcony, unable to accept any input due to schizoid inhibitions) of the Russian Revolution, from February 1917 till January 1918. I observed this astonishing happening from very close up, being an officer of the regiment that started it. Unwashed Souls, Witkacy
A
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fête
ISSUE 14 APRIL
POSTER ARTWORK DESIGN JACEK STANISZEWSKI Death is the only thing I desire, in order not to suffer and not to feel the terrible weight of life and dragging myself on after dying alive. I wish to have a portion of potassium cyanide in order to be a master of my own life at each instant.
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OPENING
12.10 TICKETS WITKACYBILETY.INTERTICKET.PL
GOODBYE
16.10 ZAKOPANE ARTISTIC PRESENTATIONS „ PĘPEK ŚWIATA ” (THE HUB OF THE UNIVERSE) THE SENSE OF CREATIVITY (12-16 X 2018)
We cordially invite you to the 8th edition of Zakopane Artistic Presentations „The Hub of the Universe” 2018 – The Sense of Creativity. Presentations will take place this year on October 12-16. The program of this year's presentations includes, as always, performances of both Polish and foreign theatres: on the stage of the Witkacy Theatre, we will be able to see the spectacle "After Shakespeare's Storm" directed by Agata Duda-Gracz (Capitol Theatre), Mogilev Regional Puppet Theatre from Belarus will present its latest performance "At the Bottom", and the FrenchNorwegian group Plexus Polaire will show an extraordinary puppet show "Ashes". The hosts of the Presentations will perform as well, presenting the show directed by Andrzej St. Dziuk – „ONI, albo Ha!Sio(R), czyli nie drażnić kota”. ["THEY, or Ha! Sio (R) ie. not to tease the cat"]. As every year we will meet outstanding representatives of culture, philosophy, science - we will have the opportunity to talk to: Dr. Michał Klinger, Jerzy Skolimowski, mgr Paula Milczarek and Dr. Rafał Czekaj. The program of this year’s “Hub” could certainly not overlook a trip. There are also two concerts planned: Emiliyah Singer and Włodek „Kinior” Kiniorski are going to present material
from their premiere album, and Teresa Mirga will introduce us to the magical atmosphere of Romany music. A novelty in this year's program of Zakopane Artistic Presentations is the screenings of prominent Polish and foreign filmmakers’ works in the ‘Miejsce’ Cinema. On the cinema screen you can see, among others, the creative works of Ingmar Bergman, Jerzy Skolimowski, Andrei Tarkovsky and Charlie Chaplin. For the first time in the „The Hub of the Universe " program there are also workshops – after all, the theme of the Presentation is the sense of creativity. Classes from creative creation through movement and body awareness will be led by the choreographer of the Witkacy Theatre – Anita Podkowa, while Dr. Sylwia Nadgrodkiewicz will take us to the world of creative and conscious use of the voice. Representatives of the Plexus Polaire Theatre will invite you to puppet animation workshops – "The Doll Man" (the number of places at the workshop is limited.) For details visit www.witkacy.pl and check separate leaflets. Zakopane Artistic Presentations are accompanied by an exhibition of artworks by Ewa Dyakowska-Berbeka.
OPENING
TICKETS
GOODBYE
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EXPLORER Nature Reserve Gorge Homole Established in 1963, this reserve covers an area of 58.6 ha and forms a deep, steep-sided ravine in Małe Pieniny (Small Pieniny). The gorge is regarded as the one of the most beautiful in the Pieniny mountain range. At the bottom of the ravine, the Kamionka stream flows. In the upper part of the gorge there is very interesting scree dating back to the Pleistocene period. The plant cover is very abundant, amongst the clusters of rock and scree. Rock shelves provide nesting sites for peregrine falcons, kestrels and the eagle owl. The ravine name derives from the Ruthenian words “gomoła”, “homoła”, which means “oval”, “no horned” and refers to the valley shape. The green tourist trail leads the visitor through the ravine from Jaworki to the bottom of Wysoka mountain.
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Małe Pieniny – extends between the Dunajec river (in the victinity of Szczawnica) and the Rozdziela pass in the east. The highest peak of Pieniny is the Wysoka mountain (1,050 metres ASL). The most attractive part of the mountain range, from both natural and scenic points of view, is the Pieniny Właściwe range. The peaks here are beautifully jagged and the valleys often form rocky gorges. The northern faces slope gently into the valleys; the southern and eastern picturesque limestone cliffs (which are up to 300 metres high) drop down suddenly to the Dunajec river. 104TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
When hiking along the gorge, it is impossible not to notice the tall coloured walls reaching 120 meters, built of white and red crinoid limestone and the fanciful shape of the trestles themselves. In the ravine we can also observe a very rich flora of lichens. Many animals find their shelter here. These include eagle owls, small falcons or salamanders. The Homole gorge contains many peculiarities of both living and inanimate nature. No wonder that this area has been protected. In the Homole gorge, precious ores and hidden treasures were once sought after. Legends regarding valuables, hidden between rocks, have been functioning here to this day.
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While walking on both sides of the stony path, you will see picturesque rocks rising. There are many boulders in the stream bed. Behind rubble made of limestone boulders, the valley widens and one can see a beautiful panorama on the highest peak of the Pieniny - Wysoka. You can return from here to Jaworki (about 30 minutes) or continue the trip by climbing to the top of Wysoka (about 1 hour and 30 minutes). The HOMOLE gorge is part of a reserve that bears the name of the Canyon. It also includes the Czajakowa Rocks and the side part of the Koniowski Stream valley. YOU'RE INVITED
tourist info Pieniński Park Narodowy ul. Jagiellońska 107B 34-450 Krościenko n/Dunajcem, www.pieninypn.pl/en
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ZAKOPANE STYLE AND PODHALE REGION a guide to the Polish traditions
POLISH REGIONAL COSTUMES ZAKOPANE AND PODHALE REGIONÂ STYLE
POLISH REGIONAL STYLES ZAKOPANE & PODHALE REGION STYLE "The idea was to build a home which would settle all existing doubts about the possibility of adapting folk architecture to the requirements deriving from the more complex and sophisticated needs of comfort and beauty". Stanisław Witkiewicz
Zakopane Style (or Witkiewicz Style) is an art style, most visible in architecture, but also found in furniture and related objects, inspired by the regional art of Poland's highland region known as Podhale. Drawing on the motifs and traditions in the buildings of the Carpathian Mountains, this synthesis was created by Stanisław Witkiewicz now considered to be one of the core traditions of the Góral people. As the Podhale region developed into a tourist area in the mid-19th century, the population of Zakopane began to rise. The new buildings to house these new well-to-do inhabitants was built in the style of Swiss and later Austro-Hungarian chalets. Stanislaw Witkiewicz, an art critic, architect, painter, novelist and journalist, was chosen to design a villa for Zygmunt Gnatowski. In his plans, Witkiewicz decided against using these foreign building styles and instead chose to utilize the local traditions used by the native Górals of Podhale. Drawing on the Vernacular architecture of the Carpathians, Witkiewicz used as a model the modest but richly decorated homes in Góral villages such as Chochołów which he further enriched by incorporating select elements of Art Nouveau style, thus giving birth to the "Zakopane Style". This building, known as the Villa "Koliba" was built between 1892 and 1894, and it still stands to this day on Koscieliska Street in the mountain resort of Zakopane.
Witkiewicz started a press campaign to promote the style. In his reports and articles, he appealed for the use of local motifs in the houses erected by the newcomers and visitors. The Koliba villa, the first building erected to Stanisław Witkiewicz’ s design in the Zakopane Style, is situated at Kościeliska Street, Zakopane’ s oldest street with timehonoured houses and characteristic Tatra crofts at every step. In these surroundings we can better understand Stanisław Witkiewicz’ s concept. The Museum of the Zakopane Style is the only place in Poland acquainting the visitor with the history of the achievements of the first theoretically wrought and successfully effected concept of a Polish national style based on the architecture and decorative art of the inhabitants of the region of Podhale. The Koliba villa opens the brief history of the Zakopane Style, which lasted barely twenty years. After the Koliba, Witkiewicz designed several other buildings in Zakopane, of the villa-cum-pension type, in that the most beautiful, called Pod Jedlami (House Under the Firs). He also designed furniture, various objects of daily use and elements of the furnishing of the Holy Family parish church. He designed the Sacred Heart Chapel at Jaszczurówka. The main building of the Tatra Museum was erected in brick and stone to the artist’s last design drawn in 1913. source: muzeumtatrzanskie.pl 108 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
ZAKOPANE STYLE The Museum of the Zakopane Style at Koliba villa. Zakopane Fot. Mariusz Cieszewski / www.poland.pl
POLISH REGIONAL COSTUMES Podhale Traditional Podhale costume has a lot in common with the outfits traditionally worn by the highlanders living through the whole area of the Carpathians.
The male outfit was more conservative and it rarely changed, both in terms of cut and types of materials. Secondary features, that is, decorations and colours, would change more often. The main materials used for sewing clothes were made at home – these were woollen fabric, linen and leather. The Podhale costume was often decorated with jewellery, regardless of whether the woman was already married or not. The most valuable jewellery was real beads, and the more strings of beads the woman was wearing, the higher her material status. The largest bead on the string was always in the middle. The strings of beads were passed from mother to daughter, and young girls would usually get them in dowry when they got married. Small crosses made of lead of tin were also sometimes attached to the bead strings. There was an engraved ornament on the crosses. In addition to the bead strings, there were also coins worn as a type of medallion. The mountaineer wears a flat black hat made of felt, the top of which is surrounded by shells called cubes, sewn onto a red ribbon. A white linen shirt with wide sleeves was at the neck decorated with a metal clip with chains and beads. Highlander trousers, or pants, were sewn from white canvas and had slits at the waist and bottom of legs. Along the legs, there are stripes with a colourful string, bottom of trousers should be adorned with pompons, and the top – with colourful embroidery called "parzenica". 111 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
The leather belt worn by trousers is richly decorated with grooves, metal studs and buttons. Traditional moccasins, called “kierpce”, are sewn of leather and laced with rawhide straps. “Cucha”, a special kind of a cloak or a shoulder shrug is worn as an outer garment. It is decorated with multicolour embroidery, various applications, with trimmed sides and a red ribbon used for fastening. The outfit is complemented by a stick with an axe – in Polish called “ciupaga”. Women usually wear colourful scarfs as their headwear – it is called”szmatka”, which in fact means a „rug” or a „cloth”. In spring and summer, girls usually do not wear any type of headdress, weaving some flowers in their hair for decoration instead. They put a velvet bodice lined with canvas and embroidered with colourful embroidery on a batiste shirt, decorated with white embroidery and a ruffle. The ribbon used to lace the corset is long, usually red, tied at the bottom in a bow. Its long ends freely flow to the skirt sewn from a local cotton fabric called “tybet”, which is decorated with a floral motif arranged in a crown. Under the skirt, a girl wears a white petticoat called an apron, on the legs – moccasins, and on the neck a string of red beads. The most popular women's shoes were moccasins, similar to those worn by men. Before putting on the moccasins, the feet were wrapped in linen cloth. Women's footwear, over time, also gained additional decorations.
Podhale Costume Elements
A clay pipe shod in a nickel silver sheet with a wooden stem. Decorated with an engraved and stamped geometrical ornament and metal rings (zbyrkadła) attached.
Kierpce (kyrpce in the local dialect) – traditional footwear of inhabitants of the Podhale region made of cowhide, with long leather straps used to fasten them.
Opasek – a highlander’'s decorative broad leather money belt tied with several metal buckles. This object comes from the Podhale village of Ząb
In the 19th century, jewellery was worn with folk costumes both by women and men who tied a red ribbon around the shirt collar or fastened the sides of the collar with a collar stud.
Shirt buckle – a decoration appearing in a costume of the Podhale region, used to fasten a man's shirt on the chest.
Unlike other regional groups in Poland, Highlanders from Podhale wear traditional outfit (or its elements) on a daily basis.
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Author: unknown Date of production: 2nd half of the 19th century Dimensions: height: 65 cm Museum: The Dr. Tytus Chałubiński Tatra Museum in Zakopane
Wooden sculpture “Highlander”
Full wooden sculpture depicting a man’s figure dressed in a folk outfit similar to outfits worn by Podhale highlanders in the 2nd half of the 19th century. Digitalisation: RDW MIC, Małopolska's Virtual Museums project public domain
Author: Ferdynand König's dying and printing company in Chochołów Date of production: 1870s–1880s Place of creation: Nowe Bystre, Poland Dimensions: length: 79cm, circuit: waist: 68cm, bottom: 450 cm
“Farbonica” skirt
The skirt, known as a farbanica or farbonica, is an element of the historical Podhale outfit. It was sewn from linen fabric, woven in a home weaving workshop, and printed manually with the batik technique and dyed indigo in the village dye-works in Chochołów. Digitalisation: RDW MIC, Małopolska's Virtual Museums project public domain
autumn jars
 | Good Greens | Food Recipes With Ingredients
PICKLED CUCUMBERS
Cucumbers Pickled cucumbers Pickled cucumbers are compulsory preserves during the summer. Such homemade products taste much better, and made on your own, in large quantities are more economic than buying jars in the store. And it is not so difficult. So how do you get to prepare the cucumbers into the jars? Wash the cucumbers; place them vertically and tightly in the jars (clean, dry). Peel garlic and horseradish. Put in each litre jar: 2-3 cloves of garlic, a piece of horseradish, a sprig of dill with a stem and 2 leaves of black currant or cherry. Prepare the marinade (approximately 0.5 litre if it per 1 litre jar is required): Boil a portion of water suitable for the amount of jars. Pour the salt into the products in the amount of 1 spoon full for one litre of water.
PICKLED
Pour hot water into prepared jars and immediately twist the lids on them. The cucumbers must be completely immersed in the brine. Make sure that the upper edge of the jar as well as the cap is dry when you put the tops on the jars. INGREDIENTS: cucumbers (ground, not too big) garlic (Polish) dill (preferably with a stalk) fresh horseradish optional - blackcurrant or cherry leaves salt for preserves (coarse) Remember to cover the hot jars with a blanket for approx. 12 hours to ensure good potting. Then put the jars in the basement (or another dark, cool place.
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The Plum Jam POWIDŁA ŚLIWKOWE Plum jam (in Poland called powidła) is another taste of childhood. The end of summer in the countryside is the period of stocking up for winter. In September, plums from late varieties ripen. All fruit taste best when picked straight from the tree. Sunday pie with plums is uniquely delicious. In Poland and in many other countries, plums are used for the production of flavoured liqueurs and strong vodkas. In addition to the production of alcoholic beverages, in traditional homes plums were usually preserved in the form of fried jams and other processed fruit products. Plum jam is one of the favourites. Many of us like to spread it on a slice of fresh bread with the addition of white cheese or just eat with a teaspoon straight from the jar.
SWEET
Plums for jam must be washed and drained. Remove the seed by cutting the fruit in half. Next, plums are put in a pot, to which we add some water. Only at the beginning if you wish. Just a tablespoon of water for warming up. The process of frying the jam must be slow. We do not fry jam on high heat as it may burn in the pot really quickly. It is best not to add water any more. Plum fruits still have a lot of juice in them. It may happen that home-fried plum jam is not sweet enough or the taste of fried plums will seem... hmm... a bit sour, dull... So we have to continue frying to obtain thick mass again. Ingredients: 1 kg of common purple plums (preferably very ripe ones) Additionally: • up to 150g of sugar (optional) • ½ teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
If you need sweetening, you must remember that sugar will dilute the jam so you will have to fry it a little bit longer.
WILD MUSHROOMS
Wild Mushrooms Mushroom marinades are characterised by a delicious, unique taste, especially enjoyed by men. Check how to prepare marinated mushrooms in a Polish way Mushrooms in the marinade owe their flavour and aroma to the addition of appropriate spices, such as allspice, bay leaves, tarragon, horseradish, mustard, etc. Marinated mushrooms make our menu richer. They make great side dish to cold meats, poultry, fish and sauces. It is also an excellent decorative element for various dishes, such as salads or cold fish. Ingredients: 2kg of mushrooms (boletus, birch bolete, russet, champignon, oyster mushrooms), 25dkg spring, onions or shallots, Allspice, Bay leaves, 3-4 tablespoons of sugar, citric to taste or a glass of 10% vinegar for 3 glasses of water
"It's a great side dish"
Preparation: 1. Cleanse the mushrooms, rinse, peel off slippery jacks. Pour with boiling, salted water and simmer for a while. Then strain and rinse with cold water. 2. Peel and rinse an onion, pour over with water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then strain. 3. Put the onion together with the mushrooms into jars 4. Boil water with spices, acidify with vinegar or citric or lactic acid. Pour the mushrooms so that the marinade reaches up to 3cm below the edges of the jar. 6. Top the jars with the lids lined with aluminum foil so that they will not corrode. 7. Heat the jars in a container with water at a temperature of about 90 degrees Celsius (20min – jars 0.5l, 25 min – jars 0.75l, 30 min – jars 1l). 8. Tighten the lids after pasteurization. 118 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND
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Polish Culinary Paths get your free copy at: issuu.com/msz.gov.pl/docs/pcp_en
From the author and publisher: Magdalena Tomaszewska- Bolalek and Radosław Bolalek: Dear friends as you probably know, the book 'Polish Culinary Paths' got multiple awards and international recognition. It was translated into English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese. Now we are starting a new chapter as the new English edition will be available for free! There would also be a new printed edition that will reach Polish Embassies worldwide! Thanks to all that made it possible. The book is commissioned by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.
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